Aba Power Hikes Tariffs by 50% Amid Economic Challenges

Aba Power Limited Electric (APLE), an electricity distribution company (DisCo) serving nine Local Government Areas in Abia State, has announced a substantial increase in electricity tariffs, with rates soaring by over 50 percent.

The revised tariffs, which came into effect on 1 January 2025, were authorised by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

The company disclosed the new pricing structure through its official X (formerly Twitter) account.

According to the announcement, customers connected to Band A feeders will now pay between ₦219.70 and ₦241.45 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), a significant jump from the previous rate of ₦99/kWh.

The statement further detailed that Band B customers will be charged between ₦180.77 and ₦203/kWh, while those on Band C feeders will pay tariffs ranging from ₦145 to ₦205/kWh.

Aba Power attributed the tariff increase to Nigeria’s tough macroeconomic conditions, which have sharply escalated the company’s operational expenses.

In a statement accompanying the announcement, the company said, “We also wish to inform you that we have recently received an approval order from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for an adjustment of electricity tariffs, effective 1 January 2025”. 

“This adjustment will enable us to cushion the effects of recent macroeconomic developments in Nigeria on our ability to continue to deliver a high quality of service to our customers in compliance with regulatory standards,” it added. 

The company stressed that the increase is essential to sustain service delivery and adhere to regulatory requirements despite the country’s economic challenges.

Customers have taken to their social media handles to decry “the fraudulent” increment, stating that the DisCo shared the information very late without prior notice.

Legit (@uzisika) wrote on X,  “100% increase really. you guys are no different. This is fraudulent”

Ányànwụ̀ Chị́dìébérè (@anyanwu_chidi_e)  also tweeted “Your media team is doing a very bad job. There has never been a time they give proper information before a major disruption in power or breakdown. You had to wait for people to cry out first before you do the needful after about two days of implementation. Did you inform people prior to the approval? You guys need to do better with information decimation.”

In April 2024, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) authorised an increase in electricity tariffs for distribution companies (DisCos). 

NERC reported that the federal government’s subsidy commitment rose by N84.06 billion between the second and third quarters of 2024, climbing from N380.06 billion (covering 52.51 percent of the total invoice for generation companies) to N464.12 billion (54.71 percent of the total GenCo invoice).