How Persistent Power Outage Worsens Band A Households’ Burden

For months now, electricity consumers classified under Band A —those promised a minimum of 20 hours of daily power supply—have continued to grapple with a frustrating reality of persistent power outages.

In a country where darkness has long shaped daily life, the promise of a steady electricity should feel like relief. However, for many Nigerians, the introduction of Band A tariffs has sparked outrage, disbelief, and a growing sense that they are paying more for a system that still falls short.

On paper, it sounds like progress, but in reality, many households and small businesses say it feels more like a premium price tag slapped onto inconsistent service.

The Price of a Promise

When the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved the upward review of Band A tariffs, it was positioned as a necessary step toward a cost-reflective market. Households and businesses in these feeders saw their rates jump significantly, often tripling their monthly energy expenditure.

For many, the transition was accepted as a “lesser evil.” The logic was that paying more for grid power would still be cheaper than the astronomical cost of running diesel or petrol generators. Yet, months into the implementation, the reality on the ground tells a different story.

In different parts of the country, including major cities like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, residents on Band A, who constitute about 15 percent of the over 12 million registered customers, lament paying more tariff for unreliable electricity.

In a chat with Pinnacle Daily, a barber in Surulere, Lagos, Chinedu Okafor said: “I pay for almost full-day power, but I still run my generator every evening.”  “So, what exactly am I paying for?” he asked.

That question echoes across neighbourhoods where Band A has been implemented. Consumers report higher tariff rates of almost N300 per kilowatt hour but not necessarily longer hours of reliable electricity. While some areas have seen modest improvements, others say supply remains erratic, even as it has become more expensive.

The tariff system, introduced as part of broader power sector reforms, was designed to align cost with service. The idea is simple: those who receive more electricity should pay more. But critics argue that the execution has been anything but fair.

“I don’t mind paying for stable electricity,” said a Lagos-based digital expert, Adebisi. “But what we’re getting now feels like a downgrade, not an upgrade.”

For one, transparency remains a major concern. Consumers say they are often moved into Band A without clear communication or measurable proof that they are receiving the promised hours of supply. In many cases, there is no real-time tracking system accessible to users.

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Customers lament paying for less hours of electricity

Across social media platforms are barrage of complaints by Band A electricity consumers who endure recurring blackouts.

A “Happy Easter” post by Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) on Sunday, April 5, attracted a barrage of comments by frustrated residents who lamented being in darkness for days and weeks and even celebrated the festive season without electricity.

An X user, Morenikeji, who is on Band A called for the intervention of the NERC, stating that AEDC has failed to provide 20 hours of electricity in their area for about three months. “@NERCNG for the past 2-3 months, AEDC has been unable to provide the stated 20 hours of electricity for people on band A. Yesterday was Easter celebration and all we got at Adkan estate 69 road Gwarinpa was less than 4 hours of electricity, and we are still in darkness,” the user stated.

“We’ve not had light in F01 Kubwa since 10 pm last night. Even all through yesterday, the light was not constant. We are on Band A. Kindly do the needful,” another X user, Japhet, stated.

“For over 40 hours, we’ve not had power supply. We’ve been in total blackout throughout this holiday. This is unfair for an area that’s on Band A. Every time it rains, our light trips off, has been so for over 2 years now. Nothing has been done about it. Yawuri Street, Garki,” another X user, Mito lamented.

Similar complaints have been raised by residents under the jurisdiction of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).

Following a series of complaints by Band A customers about poor power supply recently, IBEDC published a list of Band A feeders with unmet hours of service as of April 1, 2026. However, the DisCo failed to indicate whether consumers in those affected feeders would be downgraded or not.

Under the current rules, if a distribution company fails to deliver the promised hours of light to a Band A feeder for a consecutive period, they are technically mandated to downgrade that feeder or compensate the consumers.

However, residents say this is far from reality, alleging a lack of transparency by DisCos.

“We are paying for a service level that exists on paper but rarely in the socket,” says Gloria Udoh, a resident of Aguda in Lagos. “When the light goes off at 6:00 PM and doesn’t return until 2:00 AM, the ‘Band A’ label feels like a penalty rather than a privilege.”

Energy analyst Tolu Adebayo noted that adopting service-based tariffs is not bad, but the problem has been the enforcement approach and accountability. “If a customer is billed for 20 hours, there must be verifiable data to support that they are actually getting 20 hours,” Adebayo stated.

For many families and small businesses, the financial strain is mounting. The cost of fueling generators, already high due to rising petrol prices, adds a second layer of expense on top of electricity bills that no longer reflect the service delivered.

“It’s double the cost,” says Aisha Bello, who runs a frozen food shop. “I pay Band A bills and still buy fuel. My prices go up, customers complain, and I lose business.”

Macroeconomic Ripple Effect

Analysts observe that the ripple effects extend beyond individual frustration. Higher electricity costs feed into inflation, as businesses pass expenses onto consumers. In a fragile economy, this adds pressure to households already grappling with rising food and transportation costs.

Energy analysts attribute the persistent power disruption to a mix of systemic challenges, which include aging infrastructure, gas supply constraints, and grid instability. While the tariff restructuring aimed to incentivize better service delivery, it has also exposed the fragility of the system when those improvements fail to materialize.

Distribution companies, on their part, insist that improvements are ongoing. They argue that infrastructure upgrades, metering, and grid management require funding, which must come from tariffs.

In the last two months, various DisCos have continued to issue notices of power outages and apologies to consumers over failure to supply electricity.

In a public notice issued on March 31, AEDC stated that parts of Abuja, Niger and Kogi would experience power outage due to scheduled maintenance on transmission substations by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on April 1st and 2nd.

Ikeja Electric also attributed the ongoing shortage of electricity supply to a nationwide decline in power generation caused by limited gas supply to thermal power plants.

According to data published by the Nigeria Independent System Operator (NISO), power generation has hovered between 2,000 megawatts (MW) and 3,700MW in the better part of March, reflecting an acute shortage of power supply for a country of over 200 million people.

Consumer advocacy groups have called for stricter regulation, independent monitoring of supply hours, and compensation mechanisms for customers who do not receive the service they pay for.

As Nigeria continues its long struggle to fix its power sector, Band A stands as a test case: can reform deliver real value, or will it deepen public frustration?