In what could mark a turning point in the lingering controversy over electricity tariff control in Enugu State, the Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission, EERC, on Thursday held a public hearing on a petition filed by MainPower Electricity Distribution Company.
The session provided a rare platform for the regulators, the distributors, and consumers to speak openly on the July 18, 2025 tariff order – a regulatory directive that has stirred heated debate since it took effect on August 1 this year.
The controversy began on July 18, 2025, when the Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission ordered MainPower , a subsidiary of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC; to reduce its Band A tariff from ₦209 to ₦160 per kilowatt-hour.
The Commission had said, the decision followed a “prudent” review of MainPower’s licence and tariff application, guided by the State’s 2024 Tariff Methodology.
But MainPower disagreed with the directive, claiming it was not given fair hearing and that the parameters used by the Commission in arriving at the reduced Band A tariff regime were faulty – a position that led to this public hearing.
MainPower is asking the Commission to suspend the order pending full review or adopt its own tariff model, which proposes a cost between ₦194 and ₦206 per kilowatt-hour.
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On the other hand, consumers and representatives of the Enugu State Government told the panel that the Commission should stand by its earlier decision, insisting the reduction was in the public interest and long overdue.
The public hearing, chaired by the Commissioner for Electricity Market Operations at the EERC, Reuben Okoye, with former Managing Director of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Dr. Marilyn Amobi, as Technical Consultant, saw intense arguments from all sides, as stakeholders sought clarity on what constitutes a fair tariff for Enugu consumers.
It will be recalled that although the new tariff was to start from August 1, MainPower only partially complied with the order, adjusting to ₦172 for about two weeks before reverting to the old rate, citing system breakdown.
The hearing may have ended, but the debate over what consumers should pay for power in Enugu is not over yet, as the Commission is expected to review all submissions before taking a final decision on what could either reinforce regulatory authority or redefine electricity pricing in the State.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
