Over billing, incessant power outage: Reps to probe Discos

By AHMED MUSA, Abuja

The House of Representatives has again resolved to investigate the electricity distribution companies in Nigeria for allegedly overbilling customers without a commensurate supply of electricity.

The House, therefore, mandated its committee on Power to carry out the investigation and report back within three weeks for further legislative actions.

The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion on notice brought by Hon. Bello Mohammed Shamsudeen, calling attention to the ‘Urgent Need to Investigate the Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOS) in Nigeria for Overbilling Customers without Adequate Electricity Supply.’

The lawmaker in his presentation noted that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), on several occasions, ordered that refunds be made to overbilled customers of Electricity Distribution Companies through energy
credit of excess charges to the affected individuals and businesses.

He also recalled that the Commission further ordered erring Electricity Distribution Companies to, within
five days notify the affected customers of the overbilling in writing in line with Regulation 9 (7) of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s Meter Reading, Billing, Cash Collection and Credit Management for Electricity Suppliers Regulation 2007.

He expressed concerns “that the World Bank, in a latest survey, insisted that 78 per cent of power consumers in
Nigeria got less than 12 hours of daily supply of electricity which were oftentimes epileptic.”

He also expressed worries that “the increase in tariff does not reflect the number of hours of power supply, yet Nigerians are forced to pay for power they did not consume.”

The resolution which initially sought to set up an ad-hoc committee for the probe was rescinded by the House, with the motion referred to the standing committee on power for action. (Daily Independent)