Reps to probe alleged excessive electricity charges in Nigeria

The House of Representatives on Wednesday set up an ad-hoc committee to probe alleged excessive charges on electricity customers through prepaid meters.

This followed a motion by Lam Adesina (Oyo – APC).

In the motion, Mr. Adesina noted that in June 2016, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) issued a directive to electricity distribution companies to ensure that all their customers were metered by November 30, 2016.

The deadline was later extended to March 1, 2017 after consideration of appeals from the distribution companies.

“Distribution companies, in an effort to meet up with the deadline, commenced installation of new set of prepaid meters. But electricity consumers in the country are now groaning over the rate at which the newly installed MOJEC prepaid meters gobble up their units, when compared to the old prepaid meters installed by the defunct PHCN,” Mr. Adesina.

He added that many consumers across Nigeria paid for the prepaid meters for a long period of time but were yet to be metered by distribution companies, thereby subjecting them to outrageous estimated billing regime.

In a unanimous vote, the house after calling for a probe of the claims, also urged the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to investigate the quality of the new MOJEC prepaid meters being installed by distribution companies.

-Premium Times