Power supply before you rent: meters, bands and backup

Power supply is the quiet line in a rental budget. A flat with stable supply and its own meter can cost far less to live in than a cheaper one on a generator. Before you pay a year's rent, find out how power really works in the building.

The four questions

1. 1
   Who supplies it? The distribution company, an estate operator or a private provider, and on which feeder.
2. 2
   Which meter will you have? Your own prepaid meter, a postpaid meter, or a shared one with the flats around you.
3. 3
   What are the hours? What residents actually get, not what the agent says.
4. 4
   What is the backup, and who pays? A generator, an inverter or solar, and who runs and fuels it.

What Band A means

Nigeria's electricity customers are grouped into bands. Reporting in 2026 says Band A customers are expected to receive at least 20 hours of supply a day, and NERC has ordered compensation for eligible Band A customers affected by shortfalls (Nairametrics). The Band A tariff was reported to have been raised to ₦225 per kWh in 2024 (NAN).

Two points matter for a tenant. First, the band belongs to the feeder serving a particular area, not to a suburb's name, so two streets nearby can differ. Second, a higher band means a higher tariff, so steady power is not free. We did not find current published hour guarantees for the lower bands, so ask your distribution company or residents rather than assume.

Check it yourself

• Visit in the evening. That is when demand is highest and outages show.
• Ask neighbours how many hours of light they get, how they cope and what it costs them.
• Look at the building. Where is the meter? Is there a generator house, an inverter or solar panels? Are the wires tidy or improvised?
• Ask for a recent power bill or a prepaid top-up receipt, so you can see real use and cost.

Add the backup to the budget

If the supply is irregular, the true cost includes backup. Ask residents what they spend per month on diesel, on an inverter's batteries or on a solar setup, and add that figure to the rent. A flat that is ₦200,000 cheaper a year but costs ₦40,000 a month to keep running is not cheaper.

What to put in the agreement

• Who owns and pays for the meter and any generator or inverter.
• How shared power costs are split among flats.
• What happens if a shared system fails for days.
• Any electricity deposit, and whether it is refundable.

See how to read a tenancy agreement before you sign it.

Put power into your comparison

Add it to your numbers with the move-in cost calculator and the rent affordability calculator. And when you describe what you want to Zedo, say it: "steady power, prepaid meter" narrows the search before you start. See how to search for a home by describing it in plain words.

Backup power: what to ask for each type

Most homes that rely on the grid need a backup. Each type has a different cost and a different set of questions.

An inverter that only runs lights is not the same as one that runs your fridge and a laptop for a working day. Make a list of what you need to run and ask to see the load the system can handle.

Test it with your own devices

At the viewing, plug in your phone charger in each room to see that the sockets work. If you work from home, bring a laptop and test it. If there is a backup, ask to see it switch on, and note how long the changeover takes. If the agent cannot demonstrate it, ask for a time when someone can.

Also look at the meter. Ask whether it is prepaid, who reads it and where you buy units. Photograph the meter number and the reading on move-in day, so you only pay for your own use.

A rough monthly power budget

Power is a regular cost, and it is easy to forget. To estimate it:

1. 1
   List the appliances you will use daily and how many hours each runs.
2. 2
   Check the rating on each appliance label, in watts.
3. 3
   Ask the neighbours what they spend each month on units and fuel.
4. 4
   Add the two figures and set the total beside the rent.

If a home has cheap rent but costs a lot to keep powered, the cheap rent is not cheap. This is why we suggest adding a line for power in the move-in cost calculator, alongside the service charge. Our guide to service charges shows how shared power is often hidden inside that figure.

Questions about faults

Ask what happens when the supply fails.

• Who do you call, and how quickly do they respond?
• Who pays for repairs to the meter, the wiring or the backup?
• Is there a written record of past faults in the building?

A landlord who answers plainly is usually one who fixes things. One who changes the subject is likely to leave you in the dark, literally. If you want to find homes where steady power matters, say so when you search on Zedo, for example "flat with 24-hour power or a working inverter".

Take photos of the meter and the board

Before you move in, photograph the meter, its number and the reading, and the distribution board with its breakers. If a fault appears in the first month you can show what the equipment looked like when you arrived. This small habit can save an argument later and supports any claim against your caution deposit.

Questions to ask residents

Landlords and agents will tell you what you want to hear. Residents will tell you how it is. Ask:

• How many hours of grid power do you get on a normal day?
• What happens when it goes, and how quickly does the backup start?
• What do you spend each month on units and fuel?
• Has the meter or the wiring ever failed, and how fast was it fixed?
• Is the supply better or worse in the rainy season?

Write the answers down for each building you compare.

Reading a band

Distribution companies group customers into bands that reflect the hours of supply and the tariff. If a home is advertised as on a high band, ask for proof, such as a recent bill or the feeder name, and ask residents whether the hours match the claim. Then compare the monthly cost of units with the cost of fuel for a generator or the running cost of an inverter. For longer-term savings, see solar and inverters for renters.

If you work from home

Reliable power matters even more. Test the sockets with your laptop, ask about the changeover time of the backup and budget for an uninterruptible power supply for your router. See choosing a flat to work from home.

Sources

• Nairametrics, "NERC orders compensation for Band A customers affected by power supply shortfalls", 4 June 2026
• NAN, "NERC raises electricity tariff for customers enjoying 20-hour power supply"

Tariffs and band rules change. Check the current position with your distribution company.