By Adedapo Adesanya
The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has said the newly introduced Service Reflective Tariff (SRT) is designed to benefit electricity customers as it will bring about desired growth in the sector.
Speaking today in Lagos, the General Manager, Corporate Communications, EKEDC, Mr Godwin Idemudia, said that the new tariff was important for the growth of the electricity ecosystem.
“We understand the economic impact of the pandemic but there will never be a good time for the implementation of the new tariff.
“The tariff review is aimed at bringing improvements to the quality of service EKEDC provides,’’ he said.
Under the new SRT regime, Mr Idemudia said that customers had been grouped into five service bands, depicting the quantity and quality of supply they received.
“Customers on Band A will receive an average 20 hours power supply per day, Band B customers will receive a minimum of 16 hours per day, Band C customers will receive a minimum of 12 hours per day while Bands D and E will receive a minimum eight and four hours a day,’’ he said.
According to him, implementation of the new tariff for customers in Bands D and E was temporary frozen and the existing tariff would continue until the company improved their supply hours.
According to him, investments are being made to ensure that is achieved within the shortest possible time.
He thanked the company’s customers for their continued understanding and cooperation over the course of the journey for the desired growth in the sector.
The SRT began on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, as approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the agency set up by the federal government to control affairs of the power sector in the country.
The new SRT system is critical to the provision of more efficient and reliable service to customers, giving room for the upgrade of ageing infrastructure and make operators more responsive to the complaints of the customers.