Tony Edike
14 May 2012, Sweetcrude, ENUGU – THE Federal Government says it had concluded plans to distribute energy efficient bulbs that would replace the current inefficient ones in three weeks, as part of efforts to boost electricity supply.
This came as the government explained that the proposed electricity tariff increment would not be across board, adding that government was providing subsidy because it recognized that some people would not be able to pay.
Minister of Power, Prof Barth Nnaji, who made this known at the power summit held at Nike Lake Hotel, Enugu, said the energy efficient bulbs were better and more expensive than the current bulbs Nigerians were using.
He stated that the bulbs would help Nigerians save more than 80 percent of the electricity they use in their various homes.
He said: “Energy efficiency programme means that we are going to get bulbs, we give you Energy efficiency bulbs, we take your Energy inefficient bulbs and destroy the bulbs, the energy efficient bulbs are more expensive than your current bulbs.”
“So if you have a 60 watts bulb, you get the same lightening with a 12 watts bulb. So this is something that is coming and what it does is that it releases more powers to everybody, you will pay even less. “So for those who are going to get this, you will pay much more less in electricity in addition to the subsidy being provided by the government.”
Giving an insight into the proposed electricity tariff review, the minister disclosed that in a few years time, when government would no longer provide subsidy, a tariff structure that would make those who could pay to subsidize those that could not pay would be put in place.
Government, he further said, had directed that all the Generation Recovery Projects must be completed within six months, adding that when the projects were completed, there would be additional capacity of 958 Megawatts from the Federal Government’s power generation efforts.
On the public outcry against the introduction of processing fees on Pre-paid meters by some business units of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, the Minister stated categorically that such charges were illegal and advised electricity consumers to always reject imposition of illegal fees.
Nnaji also disclosed that his ministry would rely on “very good” alignment with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum to ensure steady supply of gas to power generating stations across the country.
