The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has condemned the widespread disconnection of electricity consumers by the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and called for increased metering to curb estimated billings.
The Commission’s Chief Executive, Babatunde Irukera, said this at the customers’ engagement Town Hall meeting on electricity at Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) in Lagos.
Irukera said there was no justification for group, or widespread disconnection of electricity consumers where some of the consumers might have paid their bills.
He said: “There is absolutely no reason for any distribution company to disconnect consumers on the account of “group disconnection” no matter what the case may be. We (FCCPC) will continue to push for elimination of this unfriendly and aggressive attitude of DisCos.”
Irukera said the objective of the town hall meeting was necessary to engage electricity consumers directly to facilitate dialogues and proffering solution to difficult consumer issues on electricity.
He said the meeting would enable it fashion out ways to listen and address their complaints in a civilised and mature manner.
According to him, the group disconnection of consumers of electricity without consideration for those paying their bills is an abuse of consumers’ rights.
“We expect DisCos to hear consumers’ complaints and understand their grievances in other to improve their service delivery. There is no justification for billing consumers for power that was not received or consumed on estimations.
“Estimated billing is an abuse. We use to have estimated billing in Nigeria before the DisCos came on board and it was not as contentious and discriminating as we have it now,” he said.
The FCCPC boss said that consumers refuse to pay their bills because the estimated billing system has become arbitrary and crazy, which makes consumers to stage protest.
He urged DisCos to follow the estimated billing methodology in the law, which makes it rational and reasonable, adding that there is need for DisCos to aggressively revamp metering schemes in their network to fully address consumers challenges.
Irukera said: “DisCos should be responsive and sensitive in addressing consumers’ complaints. I expect Eko DisCo to build on its effective metering scheme and create transparency in addressing estimated billing.
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