Nasarawa Electricity Consumers Kick Against Alleged 400% Rise in Tariff

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Several electricity consumers in Karu, Nasarawa state, have kicked against the prolonged estimated billing by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

They have therefore called on the National Assembly, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and other relevant agencies to quickly prevail on  the company to review what it said is the 400 per cent increase in

The communities also demanded an explanation for non-uniform band categories placed on individual families within the same compounds around Mararaba, a densely populated area of Karu local government.

In protest letters to the authorities, the communities alleged that the AEDC had refused to install meters and had continued with the practice of estimated billings despite several promises.

Some of the areas include: Assemblies of God Church Community, Alhaji Audu, Unubi , Aunty Alice Road Community as well as Primary Healthcare area.

“We write to your distinguished committees on power, to please come to our rescue from incessant crazy billing from AEDC, with special emphasis on the recent bill for the month of August 2022, which was outrageous, uncalled for with unjustified increase of 400 per cent.

“Worse still, is the total negligence in the maintenance of the transformer that serves these communities which led to blackout countless times and has continued on low voltage whenever power is restored.

“ It may interest you that till submit of this petition, the up-riser cable and new transformer promised by AEDC during our last meeting with them has not been replaced,” the affected consumers stressed in the petition.

The consumers said that after some meetings had been held, the communities had not heard from AEDC with regards to metering them let alone giving enough to cover other the neighbouring communities.

“We are tired of paying for what we did not consume. Another issue is placing people sharing same connecting cables on different bands which places same apartment at different bands charges,” they said.

A leader of the group,  Ayuba Momodu, while speaking stated that nothing had emanated from the several letters of complaints written the AEDC.