Estimated billing: Group writes NERC, demands sanction of DisCos
Electricity consumers group, All Electricity Consumer Protection Forum, has asked the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to impose sanctions on Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company for their flagrant disobedience of the commission’s orders to implement capping orders, MYTO review order 2022 on consumers billings and rates of tariff.
The group in a protest letter addressed to NERC Chairman and signed by its national coordinator, Samuel Ilori, explained that with an average daily generation of between 3000MW and 5,000 MW without considering many grid collapses, discos keep increasing electricity bills of consumers and tariff rates outside the approved capping for all categories as stated in review order on capping 2022.
“For example, how can Ikeja Electric brazenly issued to an MDI customer consumption of 7050 units per month when the approved units in the capping order 2015/2022 for the area is not more than 581 units and charging them with N56:76 when the approved periodic minor review tariff of 2020-2026 stipulates N53.60 kobo. There are many like that in their franchise area. Same to Eko Electricity distribution company PLC as well as Ibadan among others”, he noted
The group demanded among others that the affected discos not only be sanctioned, they should reprimand and punish according to the quoted Section 94 (1) of ESPRA 2005 and made to refund all discrepancy in the approved capping units as against the one they charged consumers in their respective franchise areas, a letter to the effect that no discos must henceforth charge consumers above the approved methodology tariff capping order of units as well as tariff fares per unit approved.
“That your Agency should as matter of urgency set up monitoring committee to start monitoring the activities of discos in their franchise area especially in the instance of capping order and tariff charges on consumers.
“That Letter to the effects that henceforth no communities or individual shall be responsible for buying his materials for repairs or damage poles and faulty transformers with attendant sanctions. Note that between you and your office it’s not rocket science that costs of this materials already embedded in the tariff charged on consumers upon your approval.
“This letter serves as pre-action notice, failure to meet the demands within 30 days of receiving this letter, we will approach court of competent jurisdiction for redress and provision of section 94 (1) shall be revoke on the commission as a violation of the extant law of ESPRA 2005”
