The House of Representatives on Wednesday started investigating the allegation preferred against electricity distribution companies, DISCOs, of installing new sets of prepaid meters which gulps the units purchased much faster than the prepaid meters the companies met on ground.
This development followed an adopted motion wherein an Ad-Hoc Committee was set up to investigate the complaint.
At the investigative hearing, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, in his address, said, “The information available to the House was that, after the unbundling of the Defunct PHCN, the DISCOs hurriedly installed new sets of prepaid meters, which gobble the units purchased much faster than the older prepaid meters they met on ground. This prompted the raising of the motion upon which the House resolved to set up this Ad-Hoc Committee to investigate the complaints.
“The House is aware of the financial hardship being experienced by most of our people, due to the high electricity charges by DISCOs. This has further compounded the difficulty brought about by the economic downturn in the country. We are, therefore, determined to get all the facts on the matter, with a view to addressing it.”
Dogara also stated that the House was currently working on a Bill for an Act to Amend the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act, 2004, to Prohibit and Criminalize Estimated Billing by Electricity Distribution Companies and Provide for Compulsory Installation of Prepaid Meters to all Power Consumers in Nigeria.
According to him, “The Bill is already at the Committee stage, and it is meant to block another loophole by which the DISCOs are allegedly cheating consumers.
“It can be seen, therefore, that the work of this Ad-Hoc Committee is very germane to the successful implementation of the proposed Law.
“This Committee must unravel the veracity of the allegation of the presence of wrongly configured prepaid meters that are over-billing the already impoverished masses of this country. The success of this Committee’s work will ensure that the gains of the stoppage of estimated billing by the proposed Law are realised”.
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