Some residents of Dei-Dei, Byazhin and Kubwa Communities of Bwari Area Council, FCT have expressed frustration over persistent and excessive estimated electricity billing by distribution companies.
The residents spoke in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja that bills have continued to rise in spite of irregular power supply, also decried the inability to acquire prepaid metres.
They called on electricity distribution companies to provide prepaid meters to consumers to ensure transparency and accountability in billing.
One of the residents in Dei-Dei, Mohammed Nuhu, said that it had become difficult for families to cope with the charges.
He said: “Sometimes, we stay without power for days, yet the bills still come with huge amounts.
” I believe if we have the prepaid metres, the charges will be less because it will only go high when there’s light and you use appliances.”
He, however, said that he was still making efforts to purchase the metre for his household.
Another resident, Blessing Umeh, said the estimated billing system had made it difficult for low-income earners to cope with the rising cost of living.
According to her, the estimated billing system still being used in some communities is unfair to the users.
This, she stated, was because there was no proper accountability from both ends.
She said: “Many residents are being charged for electricity they did not consume.
” Also, it is difficult for the electricity company to actually measure what a household had consumed within the stipulated period.
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” So, there’s this and many inconsistencies, but with the metre, it is different.”
She, however, urged the electricity company to improve on power supply to residents to relieve them of “unnecessary suffering.”
Nnamdi Anthony, who lives in Kubwa, also urged the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, to accelerate the installation of prepaid meters to communities where they were still lacking.
Anthony, who is also a barber, said that this was necessary to ensure transparency and fairness among all citizens.
He said: “Prepaid meters will help consumers monitor their usage and avoid exploitation through estimated bills.
” It is important because apart from our household, the rising charges are negatively affecting our businesses too.
“The bills are too high for small businesses like mine, I spend more on electricity and fuel, leaving little or no profit.
“We hardly have light for long hours, yet the bills keep increasing every month.”
He urged stakeholders in the power sector to prioritize investment in infrastructure and customer service to improve public confidence in the system.
NAN
