Ikeja Disco customers cry out over arbitrary tariff

Electricity consumers serviced by the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (Ikeja Electric) have cried out over increasing arbitrariness in electricity bills circulated by the utility company.

Across, Alausa, Oregun, Ikeja, and neighbouring areas covered by Ikeja Disco, consumers using the old meters, said they are loaded with ‘unimaginably exorbitant’ bills, such that they are perpetually in deficit, and ‘may never get light unless they off-set them’ once the new set of pre-paid meters are installed.

From small to big business owners and household consumers, it has been a season of endless lamentations.

The general complaint, according to one of them, is that consumers that are being given bills that are obviously above their consumption levels. The consumer said those who have complained are being given pre-paid meters, but are asked to pay whatever amount they have on their bills, regardless of whatever case they have.

“They came installed the meters and used their own cards to give access to light for just one day, after which we had to go and obtained ours. But upon going there, we were asked to pay the huge amount on our bills, whether it is equivalent to our consumption or not.

“What is most annoying is that we have written and made so many visits to their offices in the past years to complain, and each occasion they promised to do something. But nothing is ever done,” an Ikeja resident and shop owner said.

Another resident said, “This whole thing started with PHCN, as every new marketer would announce his arrival with huge estimated bills even when we have functional meters. But theirs was even better because a few times they reversed the bills. But with Ikeja Electric, you don’t have a case. They will use every technical language to humble you.

“Within the last four months (July-November) I have been given a bill of more than N100, 000, with an average of over N30,000 per month. I had made cases at their various offices. With each visit to their office, I was promised that they will do something about it in the next bill. But the next bill would even be far above the previous.

“Now we here there are pre-paid meters but that we will have to pay up whatever we have on our bills after it is installed otherwise no light will be supplied. I think this is unfair because I used to pay whatever I consumed based on the actual meter reading, until Ikeja Electric came.

“Unfortunately I have a functional meter. If there is anything wrong with my meter they should have resolved it or informed me long before now and not use it as excuse to exploit me and my neighbours.

“This is most traumatic because, they know that there was so much rot in the past and now they want to use those against consumers. Why should people be made to pay for what they didn’t consume because they want to catch up on their investments?”

“It’s unfair to make the masses pay for whatever they have invested. NERC and the government should rise to our defence. We are helpless”, the consumer who did not wish to be named for fear reprisal said.