Benin DisCo activates tariff for improved services

Benin Electricity Distribution Company PLC (BEDC) said it has implemented the Service-Based Tariff (SBT) structure since September 1, 2020 while assuring service improvement.

In a statement, the DisCo said the dispensation approved in an Order signed by Prof. James Momoh, Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) migrates customers of BEDC across Delta, Edo, Ekiti, and Ondo states to a threshold that promotes upward rise in quality of service delivery.

It said SBT will allow customers enjoy a certain minimum of hours of power availability and also pay for appropriate rates for services rendered.

“The new tariff regime also allows customers to move to upper bands of more power availability as their quality of service improves and accordingly pay appropriate prices,” the management said.

Parts of the improvements it will make include strengthening customer care centres to improve responses to customers’ complaints and accelerating metering by Meter Asset Providers (MAP).

BEDC also said it has modalities to reduce power disruptions - quick response to fault clearing; preventive maintenance and the construction of 33 and 11 kilovolt power lines.

The company also said it was working on augmenting power supply by taking more from the national grid through the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and from Independent Power Plants (IPPs).

Including mini-grid power operators, BEDC said in 2019, it had offers from over 35 IPP developers for 1,700 megawatts (MW) in BEDC’s service areas.