‘We Pay Outrageous Bills But Don’t Enjoy Electricity’ – Band A Consumers Lament

…Affected Consumers Should Demand Refund—Expert

Electricity Consumers on Band A feeders have alleged that despite their migration to the band, they do not enjoy 24-hour power, lamenting that they are paying so much for less electricity.

THE WHISTLER reports that the Service-Based Tariff (SBT) was introduced in Nigeria on November 1, 2020.

The SBT classifies electricity consumers into bands based on the minimum number of hours of electricity supply per day.

An analysis of the Bands revealed further that Band A consumers enjoy a minimum of 20 hours of power supply daily; Band B: 16 hours; Band C: 12 hours; Band D: 8 hours; and Band E: 4 hours of power supply.

The affected electricity consumers, who spoke with THE WHISTLER in Abuja on Wednesday, alleged that they were migrated to the band without their consent.

Residents of Jubilation Estate, Arab Road, Kubwa, in a letter of protest addressed to the AEDC Branch Manager, by their chairman, Olubunmi Mayaki, and a copy sighted by THE WHISTLER, said they were not contacted before they were migrated from Band B to Band A.

The development, they claimed had increased what they pay for electricity bills monthly and requested for their return to Band B or C.

“This letter is a formal complaint over your management’s sudden migration of our estate from Band B to Band A. There was no formal information communicated to us but I only noticed the migration after I recharged, and while other residents started recharging they noticed the same.

“Jubilation Estate is a purely residential estate comprising 16 flats divided into Phases A & B (8 units of three bedrooms and 8 units of two bedrooms) situated along Arab Road (opposite the Metta Mall on one side and the other side at Taleat Academy Street, off the Arab Road).

“On the 20th of September 2024, I recharged Seventy Thousand Naira (N70,000.00) only on meter number 04195575131, and 310.8 units were given for Block B, Flat.

“According to your categorization, your Band A customers should enjoy average hours of electricity of 20 – 24 hours of daily power supply. Unfortunately, we do not have up to 20 hours of daily power supply.

“Besides, the amount charged according to a statement on your new feeder charges in July this year says: ‘In line with the service-based tariff regime, the revised tariff for Band A feeders is effective July 1st, 2024, as follows: old price N206.80/kWh, new price N209.5/kWh. Please note that the tariffs for Bands B, C, D, and E remain unchanged.’

“However, in a shift from the increase announced above, you currently charge. N225/kWh, which has a difference of NI 5.5/kWh increase from the kilowatt earlier announced.

“In as much as the power supply has improved, I wish to state categorically that we do not have 20 -24 hours of daily power supply in my area. We know that the improvement is due to the following factors:

“The rainy season is the year that we enjoy power supply most in Nigeria. We are curious that as the rain gives way in a few weeks, the power supply will become erratic as usual. Will you migrate us back to Band B or C tariff then?

“Besides, if you migrate us back to Band B or C, how do you refund those of us who did large recharges and have been given few units?
“The effort to justify the Band A tariff to your customers is why power may have been prioritized by you to Band A. However, in doing so, the power supply does not last for 20 -24 hours on Band A. That is an outright rip-off of your customers.

“In light of the above, we humbly request that you use your good offices to migrate us back to Band B as the residents of the Jubilation Estate are reeling under the pains of high tariffs. We wish that you give this complaint urgent attention required’’, the resident stated.

Speaking with THE WHISTLER, another electricity consumer, who is on the Band A feeder, Tunde Olumide, lamented that since he migrated to Band A, his electricity bill has quadrupled.

Olumide, who also resides in one of the estates in Kubwa, lamented that with the new development, he now spends N50,000 monthly on electricity bills.

“Since I migrated to Band A, my electricity costs have quadrupled, and surprisingly, the power supply has worsened. I mostly work from home and barely enjoy 16 hours of electricity daily.

“I was spending around N15,000 monthly before, but now I spend more than N50,000. When you add these exorbitant energy costs to other living expenses that have gone up, you’ll realize we are in a dire situation. Now I limit how I use things like AC and electric heater, just to cut down cost’’, he said.

Another Abuja resident, Deborah Micheal who was recently returned to Band B from A, lamented that she paid through her nose while in Band A.

Micheal, who resides at Sagwari Layout in Dutse, said: “During the period when my estate, Sagwari Layout in Dutse, Abuja, was placed on Band A, it felt like I was bleeding money.

“I had to buy N5,000 worth of electricity every week, getting only 4.4 units per N1,000. It became so unbearable that I started turning off every switch in my house, except for the refrigerator, whenever I went out.

“Residents in the estate began to voice their frustrations, as we weren’t supposed to be on Band A in the first place. The estate leadership eventually wrote to NERC, AEDC, and other agencies, requesting a review, and thankfully, we were downgraded back to Band B—our original allocation.

“Even on Band B, we don’t still get the promised 16 hours of electricity daily. But the silver lining is that now, with N1,000, we get 14.17 units—much more manageable than before’’.

Speaking with THE WHISTLER, a Power Sector Analyst, Barrister Olabode Fadipe, said consumers who are on the Band A feeders and not enjoying regular power supply should demand a refund of their money.

Fadipe, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Sage Consulting Communications, advised consumers to report the infraction to both the DisCos and the Regulator (NERC) for necessary redress.

He said, “Unless there is the need for review as a result of macroeconomic indicators that triggered the adjustment in Band A tariff, then the extant regulation stays.

“On the issue of customers paying for electricity on Band A when they are not getting electricity for the prescribed number of hours, the customers must bring this to the attention of the regulator and demand enforcement or a refund of their money.

“In April this year when the tariff for Band A customers was adjusted, one of the DisCos billed all its customers on Band A. NERC penalised them for it and also caused the reversal of the wrong placement.

“NERC has given its guidelines for the placement of customers in Band A. Once that guideline is not followed, customers must make the necessary complaint both to the DisCos and the Regulator for necessary redress’’.