Mkpoikana Udoma 21 April 2017, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt – The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC, has announced that it has began repayment, refunding and crediting customers who paid for meters through the Credited Advance Programme for Metering Implementation, CAPMI, from January 2017.
This, according to the Port Harcourt Disco is in line with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC’s directive on the implementation of CAPMI refund, under the harmonised Multi Year Tariff Order, MYTO.
The spokesperson of PHEDC, Mr. John Onyi, said the refund is through energy consumed.
Recall that NERC in 2015 had directed that the refund due to customers should be with 12 percent interest and must be done through a reduction of 100percent of the monthly fixed charge component of their electricity bill.
NERC had also directed that repayment period for the scheme should last for the next three years or as determined by the Commission from time to time.
However, the PHEDC says only the fixed charge was removed from the bills of customers leaving only energy consumption and value added tax.
According to the PHEDC, “The Regulatory body arrived at the removal of the fixed charges after series of consultations with various stakeholders in the electricity industry across the nation.
“To this end, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHED, in adherence to the NERC’s directive, has started the refund of the total sum paid, by spreading itin 24 months for single phase and 36 months for three phase meters, respectively. This refund shall be through energy consumed.
“It will be recalled that NERC in 2014 adopted the CAPMI scheme to the willing customers with a view to bridging the metering gap in the system, in other to reduce complaints of perceived over billings from those without meters.
“Surprisingly, in PHEDC, about 27,000 customers out of the lot lapped on the opportunity before it finally wound up on November 1st, 2016.”
