Power Outage in Enugu Due to Reduced Power Supply Following Tariff Increase, EEDC

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) has urged customers in certain parts of Enugu State, who have been experiencing power outages for over four days, to bear with the company during this challenging period.

In a statement released on Monday and signed by the Management of Mainpower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL), it was explained that the outages are due to a significant reduction in energy allocation from their parent company, EEDC.

The statement further clarified that this development stems from a recent tariff order issued by the Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) to Mainpower.

The statement reads in parts:”Specifically, the tariff for Band A customers was reduced from ₦209.50/kWh to ₦160.40/kWh.

Upon receipt of the new tariff order, MEDL promptly notified EEDC, its energy supplier, as required.

Following a careful analysis of the new tariff’s financial implications, EEDC determined that implementing the revised rates would result in a monthly loss exceeding ₦1 billion.

This loss makes it impossible for EEDC to fulfill its market obligations under the current tariff structure.

As a consequence, and to mitigate these losses, EEDC made the difficult decision to reduce the volume of energy supplied to MEDL. This action has unfortunately resulted in MEDL receiving only about 50% of its usual energy allocation, which has significantly impacted its ability to serve some customers in Enugu State.

It is important to emphasize that MEDL does not receive electricity directly from the National Grid. Instead, MEDL relies solely on EEDC, which holds the vesting contract agreement with the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), the organization responsible for bulk electricity trading in Nigeria.

We sincerely regret the inconvenience this situation has caused our valued customers. Please be assured that discussions are ongoing with key stakeholders at both the state and federal levels ,including EEDC, EERC, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), and NBET to resolve this issue promptly. We are hopeful that a resolution will be reached within the next 48 hours or soon thereafter.

We also acknowledge that this communication comes later than intended. The delay was due to the short notice with which we received the full details of the situation.

We appeal for your continued patience, calm, and understanding as we work diligently with the relevant authorities to restore normal service as soon as possible”