Has anybody yet noticed the unusually high Electricity Bills for March 2016?
Well, let us remind ourselves of the antics of the various Electricity Distribution Companies since the so-called ‘Privatization’ exercise….

If we are to look back, it took only a few months they took over for them to hike the unit cost of power consumed many times to the extent that the minimum household being charged rapidly became N14.82 per Kwh

Meanwhile, let us go into a bit of history of cost of billing of electricity for the VERY POOR i.e. (a Residential, Single Phase meter) which I use…..

In the days of Power Holding,
As at Jan 2006 the cost of unit of power was N4.00
By Jan 2011 it has risen marginally to N5.90
Jan 2012, it was N7.30

However, in July 2012 the cost of a unit has ‘jumped’ to N11.37 (they were preparing us for ‘privatisation’ of the Energy Sector!)?

It was this ‘bloated’ N11.37 per unit that we were transferred to BEDC (Benin Electricity Distribution Company) that is charge of our Edo/Delta/Ondo/Ekiti axis in late 2012
Without much ado, BEDC jerked the cost of a unit to N14.82. This was in August 2013

Along with all these charges was the monthly charge of N750 ‘Fixed Charge’ (whether or not there was any power supply!). We will all recall the fight the Social Media and others had in having this obnoxious aspect removed effective Feb 2016 (early this year)

I urge all of to look closely at your March 2016 Electricity Bill being distributed….
Our BEDC has just sent in the most outrageous bills ever!

The unit cost of energy has now been surreptitiously (Yes, sneakily) jerked up to N24.08 (up from N14.82 that was charged when they had the Fixed Charge)!

I took us through this ten year billing period (2006 – 2016) to let us see how ‘they’ have been 'winning' and smiling to the Banks with the populace suffering and losing on the Power front

For an average 3-bedroom residential building with a fridge, an average freezer, one Plasma 42 inch television set, a borehole that serves some other 3 families and some outside lights as security, (that resembles what an average retiree like ours is) So if we are to assume 300 units as being the average monthly consumption…..
In 2006, one would have paid N1,200 before VAT
For the same power consumed, this will translate to almost N7,500 before VAT (and all we canvassed for was the removal of N750 'Fixed Charge'!

In under 10 years, the cost of a unit of power has moved from N4.00 in 2006 to N24.08 today – all in the name of ‘Privatisation’

I see am oo

Without a corresponding increase in the supply of electricity. Naija is in a mess. Nigerian youth should better do something b4 its too late.

Change!!!

Make I reserve my comment read other comments

Some eediots will still be singing chain. I have no luv for this present govt esp that of the minister in charge of dese sector too. Wicked peeps. They dont kuma pay bills ns.