Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has temporarily reduced electricity supply to some feeders, including Band A, after its allocation from the national grid fell by 139 megawatts, or 28.6 percent.
The Disco said its allocation dropped from 486 megawatts (MW) to 347MW because of constraints on the national grid and low generation from a major power source.
The reduction has put pressure on EKEDC’s ability to maintain supply to customers under the service-based electricity tariff regime, particularly Band A customers who are entitled to a minimum of 20 hours of electricity daily.
“Due to constraints on the national grid and low generation from a major power source, our power allocation has dropped from 486MW to 347MW,” EKEDP said in a power update.
The company said it had temporarily adjusted supply to some feeders, including Band A, to manage the shortfall equitably across its network.
EKEDP said it was working with its transmission partners to restore its allocation and would shift the reduction to lower-tier feeders where possible.
“We are working with our transmission partners to restore allocation and will shift the reduction to lower-tier feeders where possible,” it said.
Band A is the highest service category under Nigeria’s service-based tariff framework, with a minimum supply obligation of 20 hours per day. Band B requires a minimum of 16 hours, Band C 12 hours, Band D eight hours and Band E four hours.
The service requirement is significant because electricity tariffs are linked to service levels. NERC’s framework provides for the applicable tariff to be reviewed where a Disco fails to meet the minimum service hours for a Band A feeder over the prescribed monitoring period.
EKEDP’s published tariff schedule lists Band A at N209.50 per kilowatt-hour for the applicable category.
However, EKEDP did not say that all Band A feeders would be affected by the latest reduction. Its statement indicated that the Disco intends to protect higher-tier feeders by transferring the shortfall to lower-tier feeders where operationally possible.
The company also did not identify the major power source whose low generation contributed to the reduction, disclose the extent of the generation shortfall or provide a timeline for the recovery of its 486MW allocation.
The development highlights the dependence of electricity distribution on conditions beyond the DisCo’s immediate network.
A reduction in generation or transmission availability ultimately limits the volume of electricity that a Disco can distribute to customers, regardless of its service obligations.
EKEDP said normal supply would be restored “as soon as allocation improves” and apologised to customers for the disruption.
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