By Amaechi Okwara
Asaba
Eletricity consumers in Asaba and environs yesterday protested against outrageous electricity bill for the month of January and April by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC)
At the Business District Headquarters along Anwai Road, Asaba, Delta state consumers said that the bills served them by the company was based on estimations.
They expressed worry that the company had continued to exploit them using estimated billings system and had refused to make the prepaid meter available to them.
According to Mr Musa Shaibu, who resides at Ibusa Road, Asaba, the April bill is very unbelievable, they served me N20,000 as against the monthly charges of between N2,000 and N3, 000 for the past months.
“How much is my salary, there is no way I can pay this bill because I know that in the next four months my household cannot consume the N20,000 on NEPA bill alone”.
He noted that the reading were estimated and what was indicated in the bills were at variance with his current meter reading.
“The truth is that the billing system is outrageous, there is fraud in the reading, how can they give N14,000 bill and above to all consumers in Asaba and environ.
Elizabeth Oghana, who also resides at Loe Okogwu Street, off Direct Labour Road, Asaba, said that her monthly electricity bill galloped from N4,000 in March to N19,000 in April.
“The challenge is this, I am not living in the house, it is a self contain apartment, I rented it so that whenever I come into Asaba Ican stay there.”
In her reaction, Corporate Affairs Officer for Asaba and Agbor, Mrs Esther Okolie, said that the company was working on a template to get the average consumption rate of the consumers.
She noted that the company was not getting a commensurate returns to power supplied to the consumers due to lots of energy loss.
