By Olawale Ogunbusola, Ibadan

An electricity consumer advocate, Mr. Akinbodunse Shadrack, has alleged that Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) are deliberately pushing energy to all feeders to upgrade them to Band A, irrespective of distance, workability or availability of equipment for repairs.

Shadrack, who is the convener of the Utilities Consumers Rights Advocacy Initiatives of Nigeria, stated this while reacting to complaints by electricity consumers over high billing despite the claim that there has been no increase in tariff.

According to him, while it is true that tariff was not increased, DisCos increased energy offtake and pushed supply to feeders to qualify them for Band A classification.

“It is true that tariff was not increased, but due to the increase in energy offtake by the DisCos, they pushed energy to all feeders in order to upgrade them to Band A irrespective of distance, its workability and without any equipment for repair if there is any fault on the line,” he said.

He noted that although DisCos claim to compensate customers who were not given the required number of supply hours, the billing does not correlate with the hours of supply, leaving many consumers overbilled.

Shadrack said the most difficult challenge for consumers is getting credit adjustment for over-billing, adding that compensating prepaid meter customers remains a major question.

 

“It is true that the meter will stop reading when supply is not given, but the customer still vends on Band A rate. How do you compensate a prepaid meter customer? That is the biggest question,” he queried.

The Electricity Consumer advocate stressed that metering remains the ultimate solution to the billing crisis in the power sector, calling on DisCos and the Federal Government to make meter acquisition less cumbersome.

He observed that despite the introduction of intervention programmes such as DISREP, MAF and MAP, DisCos still make meter acquisition difficult in order to keep consumers on estimated billing.

“Metering is the ultimate answer to all this and DisCos and government should try and make metering less cumbersome. Even with the introduction of DISREP, MAF and MAP, the DisCos still make meter acquisition by consumers very difficult in order to have them billed on estimate before attending to their demand,” Shadrack added.