I live in a rented house in Lekki with my wife and grand-daughter. My wife works in the University of Lagos, and I work in a school in Victoria Island, Lagos. We leave home every morning at 6.30 a.m. and return home after 6 pm. How then can I be served a monthly electricity bill of N147,000 by Eko Electricity Distribution Plc, (EKEDP)? Am I supposed to be operating a factory in my house while at work?

In July 2015, I was only billed N11,000 for my electricity consumption in the same house. I paid N12,000. Nevertheless, in the subsequent bill in August, 2015, the same N11,000 was still included in my account as “net arrears.” Again, I paid this wrong amount to EKEDP, hoping the error would be rectified in the subsequent bill.

However, in my October 2015 bill, not only was the anomaly not rectified, but my monthly bill was raised from N11,000 to a whopping N26,000.

I petitioned EKEDP, pleading that the N12,000 I paid in August 2015 be reflected in my account, and the inflation of my bill to 26,000 naira be redressed. That letter was ignored.

In October 2015, my electricity bill was reduced to N9,000 but the N12,000 was still included as my arrears. This continued in November 2015 when my energy charge estimate jumped again from N9,000 to N23,000.

Then in February 2016, EKEDP went ballistic. My energy charge was inflated by more than 100% to N42,000, without any word about my outstanding N12,000. I have now discovered that when you decide to sort out this kind of extortion, it only encourages EKEDP that you are fair game. So, the situation is soon repeated.

Accordingly, this rigmarole has now been taken to astronomical levels. In September 2017, EKEDP raised my energy charge to N72,000. In October 2017, they went even further to increase this to N85,000. Then in November 2017, they went for the jugular. My bill was increased to N147,000.

In effect, within the space of 2 years, my bill was increased by over 1,200%. This is simply unacceptable.

When I refused to pay this outrageous amount, EKEDP disconnected my electricity in January 2018. Nevertheless, they continued to charge me in February and March 2018, even though my electricity has been disconnected. As a result, I now have outstanding charges according to this fraudulent billing far in excess of N500,000.

EKEDP policy is that if you want to contest a bill, you first have to pay 70% of the bill you are contesting before they will look into it. That means they would have me pay N375,000 before addressing the issue. This is pure and simply 419. Where do they expect me to get that kind of money from?

I have no recourse but to take EKEDP to court. Their sharp practices are clearly fraudulent. If they cannot afford to provide electricity profitably, they should withdraw and allow those better able to do so to replace them. Their business model should not be based on blackmailing Nigerians into paying exorbitant bills for what they do not provide.

Their policy is in blatant contravention of their regulating authority which expressly states as follows:

Electricity - Connection and Disconnection Procedures for Electricity Services, 2007
(Penalties for wrongful disconnection)

‘10. (1) A Distribution Company shall not disconnect a Customer’s supply of electricity for non-payment where: (a)… (b)… (c)… (d) the Customer has made a complaint concerning the unpaid bill in accordance with the Commission’s Customer Complaints Procedure, and the complaint remains unresolved; or (e)…’
‘11. Any Distribution Company which disconnects electricity supply to a Customer’s premises in violation of this Regulation commits an offence and is liable on conviction to pay the Customer a penalty as stipulated in the table below for each, or part of a day that the supply is wrongfully disconnected.

Penalty (Naira per day/ Part of a day)
Residential 1,000
Commercial 1,500
Industrial 2,000
Special 2,000’

NIGERIANS ARE CONSTANTLY BEING CHEATED BECAUSE WE DON’T ACT. THIS MUST STOP. WE MUST NOT CONTINUE TO BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED AND TAKEN FOR A RIDE.

Oga try and get a prepaid meter
If not, there's no amount of protest that would work

I am.with you brother

But unfortunately will be leaving back to my country of residence soon

But any assistance I can render let me.know

Also send your petition to NERC with the supporting document. Be persistent with it. The commission should also help.

Oga sir,

You are on you own O.

Leave me out of this.