It is touted as a way of helping electricity consumers in Nigeria reduce total spend on electricity tariff. 

This arrives on the heels of the federal government’s dialogue with organised labour over a hike in electricity tariff.

Electricity tariff went from about N30.23 per kWh to about N62.33 per kWh in the first week of September, as Nigerians groan from the effect of a dwindling economy which has been made even worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schneider says its Smart-UPS Lithium-ion, which is designed for local edge environments micro data centres, "offers trusted, premium power protection to ensure network and data availability regardless of surges and unexpected blackouts.

"It ensures consistent and reliable connectivity at the most critical moments, increased UPS battery life, lower maintenance service costs, and fewer onsite visits, providing up to a 50 percent lower total cost of ownership over 10 years."

Viviane Mike-Eze, who is the Communications Marketing Manager for Schneider Electric, said in a press statement that the “APC single-phrase UPS with Li-Ion battery fills industry gap by addressing customer demand for greater resiliency, simplified maintenance and lower cost of ownership."

She added, “some key benefits and features of Smart-UPS Lithium-ion include a longer life span. The batteries can have a service life upwards of 10 years.

“Another interesting thing about this UPS is that it comes in smaller size and weight. Due to higher energy densities, Li-Ion batteries, which it uses, have a much smaller footprint and weigh about 30 percent less than sealed lead acid batteries."

The federal government announced on Monday, September 28, that new electricity prices will now be suspended for two weeks.