No prepaid meter, no payment of electricity bill, consumers threaten firm

Electricity consumers in Ijeshatedo, Surulere Local Council of Lagos State have threatened not to pay their monthly electricity bills to the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) until it installed prepaid meters in their houses.

They said they were tired of paying estimated bills, while neighbouring communities enjoyed minimal charges on their prepaid meters. Mr. Eniola Taiwo, a resident of Ogunlana Street, said electricity consumers in the area were usually served outrageous bills ranging from N10,000 to N35,000 monthly.

Taiwo, who is the secretary of the Ogunlana Community Development Association, said “in spite of the community’s efforts to ensure that EKEDC installs functional prepaid meters in the area, the distribution company has not replied to any of our letters.

“We, the electricity consumers in Ijeshatedo, still stand on our request for installation of prepaid meters before we can resume paying electricity bills. Consumers in Lawanson, Mushin, Pako, Aguda and Itire are enjoying minimal bills through their prepaid meters, why should Ogunlana be an exception?”

A banker, Mrs. Chinyere Akinfenwa, another resident of Ogunlana Street, Ijeshatedo, said she received a bill of N15,000 monthly. Akinfenwa said a colleague of hers who lived in a similar residential apartment at Adetola Street in Aguda spends N2,500 to recharge her prepaid meter monthly.

“How can I pay N15,000 to EKEDC monthly while my colleague pays only N2,500? This is injustice and cheating. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has mandated all Distribution Companies (DISCOs) to ensure that they issued prepaid meters to all their consumers, so EKEDC should comply.”

A fashion designer, Mr. Bode Adefarasin, also of Ogunlana Street, urged EKEDC to stop the distribution of electricity bills in the area because they were fed up with estimated billing.

Responding to the threat, head of department, EKEDC Public Communications Unit, Mr. Ademola Adegoke, said the company has a five-year plan to meter all consumers in the zone. He appealed to the aggrieved consumers in Ijeshatedo to exercise patience assuring them that the EKEDC’s management would look into their issues.

Adegoke, however, told the consumers to pay for the power they were consuming, while urging those who could not wait till when the firm would install prepaid meters in their houses to apply through the CAPMI scheme.