Electricity tariff increase: How much can N5,000 buy?
NaijaRock
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Posted by Felix Okoli on Wednesday February 10, 2016 at 13:12:27:
We used to purchase PHCN EKO meter tokens for N5000 on a monthly basis and this was when the tariff was about N15.63 per kWh and there was also a monthly fixed charge of N750. Then, when we pay N5000, we were given up to 258 kwh of electricity which was ok for us up to a month based on an electricity supply of at least 5 hrs per day.After I heard that the electricity tariff has been increased and tried to purchase a meter token worth N5000 in February 2016, I noticed that I'm no longer getting the the same units I used to get.I recently paid N10,000 to buy PHCN meter tokens for my prepaid meter and was given just 368 kwh worth of electricity and this means that one has to now spend at least N10,000 on electricity bills per month under the prepaid billing system if I want to use up to 368 kwh of electric power. In the past when my tariff was about 15.63, 368 kwh of power would have cost just N6800 even with the fixed charge and 5% VAT added to it. This shows that the price of electricity to consumers like me in Nigeria has increased by around 45% within a transition of just 1 month.I still don't understand why electricity companies would suddenly increase electricity tariff by such a huge margin. Yes, a lot of Nigerians knew that increases were coming but not by 45%. What this tariff increase means that Nigerians would now pay about twice as much as they used to pay to enjoy the same amount of electricity.In January 2016, the electricity tariff for residential users like me in Lagos was less than N16 per kWh but in February, it suddenly rose to over N25.
We used to purchase PHCN EKO meter tokens for N5000 on a monthly basis and this was when the tariff was about N15.63 per kWh and there was also a monthly fixed charge of N750. Then, when we pay N5000, we were given up to 258 kwh of electricity which was ok for us up to a month based on an electricity supply of at least 5 hrs per day.After I heard that the electricity tariff has been increased and tried to purchase a meter token worth N5000 in February 2016, I noticed that I'm no longer getting the the same units I used to get.I recently paid N10,000 to buy PHCN meter tokens for my prepaid meter and was given just 368 kwh worth of electricity and this means that one has to now spend at least N10,000 on electricity bills per month under the prepaid billing system if I want to use up to 368 kwh of electric power. In the past when my tariff was about 15.63, 368 kwh of power would have cost just N6800 even with the fixed charge and 5% VAT added to it. This shows that the price of electricity to consumers like me in Nigeria has increased by around 45% within a transition of just 1 month.I still don't understand why electricity companies would suddenly increase electricity tariff by such a huge margin. Yes, a lot of Nigerians knew that increases were coming but not by 45%. What this tariff increase means that Nigerians would now pay about twice as much as they used to pay to enjoy the same amount of electricity.In January 2016, the electricity tariff for residential users like me in Lagos was less than N16 per kWh but in February, it suddenly rose to over N25.