Electricity consumers chide IKEDC over non-compliance to NERC’s order

Electricity Consumers, under the aegies of Joint Action Congress of Electricity Distribution Consumers Right have issued stern warning to Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) to comply with Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC) order on metering and energy, failure of which might force them to embark onmassive protest that will shake the area.
They are also demanding for reversal of outrageous estimated bills to customers with functional meters and billing according to meter readings.These were contained in a petition sent to offices of Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, House Committee on Power and Chief Executive Officer, NERC, signed by Chairman/Coordinator General of the body, Apostle Amos Olawoye, stating that IKEDC had subjected its customers to arbitrary, embarrassing and inhuman estimated billings, which the DISCO cannot justify.
“It is a dent on the sincerity and image of NERC because thenon-compliance of IKEDC is creating the belief that the DISCO hasturned NERC to a toothless bulldog.
“Though non of the 11 DISCOS scored above average but Ikeja Electricity scored below average on every areas of its services. It flouts NERC orders as if they are inconsequential,” he said.
The body stated that the petition was mainly on the non-compliance of IKEDC with the NERC order on metering and energy/monetary cap as contained in the concept paper on July 2015 till date. “This is because it is unlawfully benefiting from estimated billing through,which it robbed Peter and Paul to fill its pocket, capitalising on the ignorance of large numbers of consumers to defraud them by turning deaf ear to complaints of the customers who demand for the reversal or downward adjustment of overbilling.”
Continuing, the body noted that there are thousands of untampered functioning meters, which Ikeja Electricity abandoned the reading and resoryted to estimated billing, adding that most of the affected
customers have never got positive resppnse for over two years because the company is not ready to rectify such bills.
They appealed to the IKEDC to roll out meters and install meters to unmetered customers before the October 2017 deadline. “But before then, if there is no sign of provision and installation of meters, our organisation may embark on massive and peaceful protest accoring to due process and rule of law.”