Blackout looms as TCN insists on disconnecting defaulting DisCos

Electricity consumers face blackouts across the country as Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) insists it will disconnect electricity distribution companies (DisCos) that have failed in complying with payment schedules except they pay up.

It would be recalled that The Guardian earlier reported a 14-business day notice issued to the DisCos on the 21st of March, 2023 while a suspension order was issued on the 19th of April, 2023 on the issue.

The Executive Director, Market Operators, Eddy Eje, told our correspondent, yesterday, that based on the 60 days extension of the grace period, the market defaulters were expected to comply with the market rules provisions of the market rules concerning payment of their outstanding invoices.

The DisCos and generating companies (GenCos) listed among defaulters by the Market Operator, a unit of TCN, included Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, Jos Electricity Distribution Company, Kaduna Electric, Kano Electricity Distribution Company, Ikeja Electric, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, APL Electric Company Aba and Ajaokuta Steel Company.

“It should be noted that other defaulters who are yet to be Suspended/Disconnected should cure their defaults within this sixty (60) days, at the expiration of this grace period, the Market Operator will resume sanctions in line with the Market Rules,” Eje said.

TCN further urged the erring DisCos to seize this opportunity to fix their defaults as they applaud the intervention of the Minister of Power.

Also, the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has alerted its customers of an imminent disconnection of power supply to the company’s franchise area.

The announcement was made in a statement signed by the MD/CEO of the company, Kingsley Achife, which was made available to The Guardian.

The statement said Market Operator, a unit in the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), was planning to disconnect its feeders from the national grid due to poor remittances

Achife said Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kwara, parts of Niger, Ekiti, and Kogi states would be affected by the disconnection.

“As a revenue collection arm of the electricity value chain, IBEDC sells and distributes electricity generated by the generation companies. However, the company is unable to meet its financial obligations to the electricity value chain due to poor payment and huge outstanding bills by customers,” he said.

Achife appealed to customers to pay their current and outstanding bills to enable IBEDC to meet its obligations to Market Operator and other parties in the electricity supply industry and ensure continuous and uninterrupted power supply.

He also explained that IBEDC, as a responsible corporate organisation, prioritises providing reliable and excellent service to its esteemed customers, but requires timely payment for the energy consumed.

“Payment for electricity is essential to ensure the sustainability of our operations, and it is a responsibility that we all share,” he said

Achife warned that failure of customers to pay current and outstanding electricity bills would result in disruption of power to homes, communities, and businesses connected to the company’s network.