Port Harcourt Distribution Company (PHED) will on July 1 begin implementation of new electricity tariff to customers in four states, says an official of the company.
The states are Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers.
The PHED Manager of Corporate Communications, John Onyi, said in a statement in Port Harcourt on Thursday that the tariff would be reviewed upward.
He said: “PHED wishes to notify customers in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers states that there will be an upward review of electricity tariff effective July 1.
“The review will affect all categories of customers in our coverage states.
“The tariff review has been a yearly order since 2015, when it was first reviewed after its introduction in 2008 by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Onyi said that the policy was done under the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) that regulates licensees of distribution companies over a period of time.
According to him, the MYTO framework uses the fluctuation in forex market, gas price, inflation rate and generation capacity to determine review of tariff.
“The new tariff will enable PHED improve services to customers. However, customers will pay more based on hours of availability, a business model that is sacrosanct to PHED.
“Also, in anticipation of the new tariff, PHED has embarked on a number of projects to fortify our network for seamless service delivery to customers.
“One of such projects is the ongoing construction and reconfiguration of our network for the evacuation of 48 megawatts from Rumuomasi Transmission Station in Port Harcourt,” he added.
The PHED spokesman sought cooperation and support of customers through prompt payment for consumed electricity in their homes and places of work.