Journal of Engineering in Industrial Research

h-index: 18     i10-index: 25

Implications of the Electricity Billing System in Aluu, ‎Rivers State

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

Esijolomi Benjamin Otokunefor 1
Melvin Idonije 2

1 Department of Physics, University of Port Harcourt, P.M.B. 5323, Unipart P.O., Choba, Rivers State, Nigeria

2 ‎Department of Physics, Faculty of Science University of Port Harcourt East-West Road, Choba P.M.B. 5323, Unipart P.O. Rivers State, ‎Nigeria

https://doi.org/10.48309/jeires.2025.501820.1155
Abstract
Electricity billing based on estimated bills is a big problem for the consumers of electricity in Nigeria and Rivers state in particular, because of the unrealistically high monthly bills. Electricity billing has evolved from analogue meter based billing to estimated billing and digital prepaid meter billing. Four and a Half years bills obtained from a location in Aluu, were collated and analysed using the principles of band system of electricity billing as stipulated by Nigeria Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC). Band system billing makes use of the ratio of cumulative duration of electricity availability (hours) to maximum approved hours, bill cap (kwh), band based tariff rate, and the value added tax (%) to generate the amount in naira. The lack of actual duration (hours) of electricity availability, data prompted the researchers to make two assumptions to do a phenomenological model of poor and good electricity availability options to compare with those used in the PHED monthly bills. The result of the PHED monthly bill analysis shows the following daily average availability of 39.33%, 77.17%, 115.75%, 110.50%, and 122.33% from 2019 to 2023 while the researchers’ monthly bill provides the following daily average availability of 23.00%, 47.67%, 46.67%, 52.83%, and 55.00% for the same years. The PHED availability data appears to be highly exaggerated as the power supply in Aluu and its environs over the years do not reflect such. This might be corroborated by NERC’s accusation of all the eleven distribution companies in Nigeria of overbilling customers in 2023.

Keywords

Phenomenological model
‎Availability
Bill cap
Band system
‎Monthly electricity bills
NERC
‎PHED

Subjects

OPEN ACCESS

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Journal of Engineering in Industrial Research
Volume 6, Issue 1
Winter 2025
Pages 88-103

  • Receive Date 24 January 2025
  • Revise Date 15 February 2025
  • Accept Date 10 March 2025

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