By Thompson ABISOLA
The Head, Corporate Communications Unit of Ikeja Electic (IE), Mr Felix Ofolue, has said lack of funds was slowing down effective metering of customers on its network.
Ofolue disclosed this on Friday in Lagos.
Electricity consumers have continued to complain about the high estimated billings and lack of access to prepaid meters five years after the reform of the sector.
Ofolue said the current economic situation was also affecting “our plans and slowing down the pace of metering. “However, we have just launched another massive campaign which is the first batch of the metering campaign.
“We at IE have announced the commencement of the distribution of single and three phase prepaid meters across our network as part of our promise to ensure that our customers are metered, thereby reducing the incidence of estimated billing.
“Indications are that over 85,000 meters may be installed in the first roll out phase which will take place concurrently across the six business units in IE’s coverage area,’’ he said.
The IE spokesman said that the roll out was different from the Meter Asset Provision Regulation (MAPS) roll out agenda, “which follows NERCs MAP approval by the Federal Government set to commence towards the end of the year.”
Ofolue said though the meter was free, customers might have to bear installation cost.
He said customers would receive meters in line with a schedule of distribution that was feeder based after they had filled the applications form which were available at any IE’s offices and the official website.
“Once the customers have been approved, location surveyed and other relevant technical assessments carried out, our technical partners overseeing that specific location will handle installation of the meters.
“We are rolling out 85,000 meters which has commenced already; as soon as its completed the second batch will be lunched. We also require skilled labour to do all the metering; presently, we have metered over 600 buildings in the Printing Community in Somolu.
“But we are challenged because most of them preferred the estimated billing which is less than their actual consumption bills,’’ Ofolue said.
Many residents on IE network have condemned the estimated billing system being foisted on consumers by the company.
Mr Fasasi Dawudu, a resident at Ketu, alleged that the company deliberately denied residents of prepaid meters so as to make customers to pay exorbitant amounts on estimated bills.
According to Dawudu, since the commencement of meter installation, IE had held many consumers to ransom by forcing them to pay as much as N15, 000 so as to recover its outstanding bills.
“We have always contested the bills being given to us from the days of defunct PHCN, but to no avail.
“Now, we are made to pay the outstanding on the bills, otherwise we won’t be able to get meter in our neighborhood.
“We believe that the estimated billing is a fraud and the current highhandedness of IE forcing residents to pay electricity bills which are almost at par with our monthly rent is the greatest scam ever.
“To force many tenants to pay for electricity they did not use is grave injustice, criminal and cannot be tolerated,” he said.
Dawudu said he wrote series of letters between 2015 and 2016 to the company to address the issue of excessive billing, but the issue had not been addressed.
A resident at Ikotun, Mr Gbenga Agboola, lamented the high electric bills to consumers in spite of the regular outages being experienced in the area.
He alleged that the company had continued to give customers monthly flat rate bill of between N10,000 and N18,000 when they hardly enjoyed power supply.
Agboola said the company had refused to provide them with pre-paid meters as it continued to cheat customers through estimated billings.
An artisan, Mrs Beatrice Nwoye, who also decried the high estimated billing, said “it is high and not commensurate with the energy consumed ’’.
“It is unbearable for a salon dresser to pay as much as N15, 000 when you hardly get uninterrupted supply each day.
Another consumer at Agege, Malam Danladi Audu, complained about inconsistencies in the estimated bills for his flat.
“My estimated bills have continued to increase from N6,000, to N8,000 and now N10,000’’.
Audu said only pre-paid meter would ensure equity to both the company and its consumers “as users will pay for energy consumed.”
