*The Federal Government says it has commenced the procurement of four million prepayment electricity meters for distribution to unmetered power users nationwide free of charge under聽the National Mass Metering Programme

Alexander Davis | 绿帽献妻

The Federal Government has said it commenced the procurement of four million prepayment electricity meters for distribution to unmetered power users nationwide free of charge.

绿帽献妻 learnt the power consumers in the West African country, also may start to pay more for electricity, as the government implements a review of power tariffs in Nigeria.

The government Wednesday, November 18, 2021, also noted that the number of unmetered electricity consumers in the country is estimated at about eight million, just as said over 860,000 electricity meters had been distributed for free to power consumers under phase zero of the National Mass Metering Programme, agency report said.

Review of power tariffs by December 2021 鈹�NERC

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Wednesday as well stated that the regulator would review the country鈥檚 power tariffs by next month, barring any unforeseen circumstance.

Shittu Shuaibu, Deputy General Manager, Consumer Affairs at NERC, said the distribution of four million free electricity meters being procured for consumers constituted phase one of the NMMP, which he noted had commenced.

Shuaibu, who spoke during a live Radio programme monitored, in Abuja, confirmed the Meter Asset Providers (MAP), working with the electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos), were able to deploy about 860,000 meters under phase zero of the mass metering programme in the country.

鈥淭he programme is supposed to run in three phases which include phase zero, phase one and phase two. Phase zero was rounded up around the end of October.

鈥淧hase one has actually commenced and it is another government intervention of about four million meters,鈥� Shuaibu said.

The NERC Deputy General Manager, Consumer Affairs also stated: 鈥淪o far we have deployed about 860,000 or close to 900,000 meters, which were part of the one million meters that was procured as part of government intervention. For the four million meters, the procurement process has commenced.鈥�

He further explained that the mass metering intervention was not free as such because the government was giving out loans for the provision of these meters to Nigerians.

Shuaibu said the DisCos would be part of the loans, and were to refund it over a period of 10 years at a very reasonable rate through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

绿帽献妻 had reported that the regulator said its notice for tariff review and 聽review of transmission loss factor in Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO), informed the general public and industry stakeholders of the Commission鈥檚 intention to commence two key reviews.

The NERC outlined them to include the Extraordinary Review of Transmission Company of Nigeria鈥檚 Loss Factor (TLF) in the MYTO, and the processes for the December 2021 review of MYTO 鈥� 2021.

The December 2021 MYTO review is to consider changes in relevant macroeconomic indices, generation capacity and capital expenditure required for evacuation and distribution of the available generation capacity in compliance with extant rules, said NERC.

The Commission as well clarified that pursuant to the provisions of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, the NERC adopted the MYTO methodology in setting out the basis and procedures for reviewing electricity tariffs in Nigeria.

The methodology, according to NERC, provides for minor reviews every six months, major reviews every five years, and extraordinary tariff reviews in instances where industry parameters have changed from those used in the operating tariffs.

This change, it stated, is usually to such an extent that a review is required urgently to maintain industry viability.

Stakeholders and the general public were invited to send their comments to the NERC within 21 days from the date of the notice, which was on November 16, 2021, said the power regulator in Nigeria.

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