_… Several Band A downgraded to Band C_

Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission, EERC, has announced the downgrade of 59 feeders under the franchise of the MainPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited.

MainPower is a subsidiary of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, which services customers in Enugu State.

EERC attributed the action to MainPower’s failure to meet the threshold of minimum hours of power availability, especially for Band A customers, despite charging them Band A tariff.

It could be recalled that the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, in November 1, 2020 categorized electricity users into Bands.

It incldued: Band A: Minimum of 20 Hourss; Band B: Minimum of 16 Hours; Band C: Minimum of 12 Hours; Band D: Minimum of 8 Hours and Band E: Minimum of 4 Hours

However, there has been an outcry by electricity users in Enugu over the inability of the Disco (Manpower) to meet the electricity supply target, necessitating the EERC’s intervention in line with its statutory powers.

The public notice, signed by the Commission, said the downgrade would remain in place until power supply improved on such feeders.

Providing background to the decision, EERC said it arose following persistent complaints from electricity consumers in Enugu State, particularly Band A customers.

Their complaints were regarding the drastically reduced hours of supply.

Consequently, the EERC said it conducted a technical and safety audit of major injection substations operated by MainPower.

“In addition, the Commission continued its routine monitoring of MainPower’s feeder performance through its online platform, the Electronic Design and Manufacturing International (EDMI) Multidrive Manager.

“The findings from the Commission’s field inspection and the online monitoring platform corroborated customers’ complaints that MainPower had failed to deliver the expected hours of supply as required under the Service-Based Tariff (SBT) regime.

“The SBT framework was introduced to ensure that customers pay for electricity commensurate with the quality and hours of availability of the supply received.

“The public is hereby notified that the Commission has directed MainPower to downgrade all fifty-nine (59) affected feeders, as listed in the Commission’s directive, to their appropriate service bands immediately,” it disclosed.

EERC, however, hinted that upon request by MainPower, it may approve the upgrade of any of the downgraded feeders “once it is verified that the feeder met the threshold of minimum hours of availability in the preceding month in line with the SBT framework”.

Some of the feeders downloaded include: 9th Mile Industrial 11KV, downgraded from Band A to Band C; Abakaliki Road 11KV, downgraded from Band A to Band C; Abakpa 1 11KV, downgraded from Band A to Band C; Abakpa 2 11KV, downgraded from Band A to Band C; Abakpa 3 11KV, downgraded from Band B to Band C; Amorji 11KV, downgraded from Band B to Band D; Nsukka Township, from Band B to D; Presidential, from A to C; UNEC from A to D; University of Nigeria Nsukka from A to D and Government House from A to E.

Other affected areas included Emene, Topland, Ugwuoye, Chime Avenue, Achi, Amechi, Ibagwa, Ugwuogo, Ugwuaji, Okwe, NOWAS, Coca Cola, Coal Camp, Dhamija, among others.