New Telegraph

Consumers kick as FG raises metre prices

Electricity consumers have kicked against the recent decision by the Federal Government to increase the price of metres in the country.

 

The government had in a circular dated November 11, 2021 and addressed to the managing directors of the 11 power distribution companies (DisCos) and Meter Assets Providers (MAPs) said that the cost of obtaining pre-paid meters was going to increase from November 15, this year.

 

In the circular, signed by the Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Mr Sanusi Garba, and made available to New Telegraph, government increased the cost of single-phase meter from the original price of N44,896.17 to N58,661.69, while the price of a three-phase meter was increased from N82,855.19 to N109, 684.36.

 

However, the decision by the government to review the prices of meters upwardly was greeted by criticisms from consumers, who have described the development as uncalled for in view of the bad economic situation in the country.

 

According to some consumers, the government is insensitive to the plight of the masses by increasing the cost of meters with least consideration to the supply of electricity nationwide.

 

In his opinion, the National Coordinator, Coalition for Affordable and Regular Electricity, (CARE), Comrade Chinedu Bosah, the government has further compounded the woes of Nigerians by increasing the prices of meters without corresponding increase in the supply of electricity to both industrial and domestic users of the product.

 

He said the privatisation of the sector had failed woefully, in view of the near blackout in the country, adding that those investor, who bought the unbundled assets of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), have not done anything worthwhile years after the sector was unjustly sold to them.

 

According to him, “how can one explain a situation where the country boasts of 204 trillion cubit feet of proven gas and can’t supply gas to thermal plants, which is the major source of the electricity consumed by Nigerians?

 

“Despite this, generation is still less than 5,000 megawatts (Mw) of electricity in the country.”

 

Sometimes, the generation companies produce between 3,000 Mw and 4,000 Mw, due to shortage of gas among other problems bedevilling the sector.

 

Explaining further, Bosah said that Nigerians were in a very critical situations due to myriad of problems facing the sector and the economy, in particular.

 

He said that Nigerians were switching to off-grid electricity such as solar and biomass due to the poor supply of electricity nationwide.

 

“How many Nigerians have the money to generate solar electricity. Very few, as the cost of procuring technologies for those off-grid methods are increasing, by the day, no thanks to poor exchange regime mechanism, occasioned by bad economy in Nigeria,” he said.

 

Similarly, he said many household consumers of electricity are also complaining about the hike in prices of meters, saying that the development had aggravated their problems.

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