THE NATION
Some Federal Government agencies have drawn a battle line with one of the two Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) in Lagos – Ikeja Electric (IE).
The DisCo is pushing ahead with the plan to make its consumers pay for replacement of their ‘obsolete’ meters.
It has given a deadline of Thursday (November 14) for the meters to be replaced or the consumers will be unable to recharge.
The other Disco in Lagos, the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), which initially asked its consumers to pay for the replacement of meters, backed down.
It gave them the option of upgrading their meters.
In an advisory, the EKEDC said: “Dear Valued Customer, Upgrade your meter to STS 2 for free! Visit kctcheck.ekedp.com, enter your meter details and click search to receive your 2 sets of 20-digit KCTS. Input them to complete the upgrade.”
At a stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja last week, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) told the DisCo to pull the brake.
But it was learnt that it insisted on forging ahead with the plan.
Yesterday, FCCPC reiterated the warning to the DisCo that consumers must be protected.
It was also learnt that the NERC had written to the DisCo, drawing it attention to sections of the law and regulations it must obey in replacement of meters.
FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Mr. Tunji Bello, in a statement yesterday said: “FCCPC has urged electric distribution companies (DISCOs) to carry energy consumers along before classifying them into bands and also adhere strictly to industry regulations on billing unmetered consumers.
“The systemic inefficiencies and a culture of impunity among some service providers have intensified these issues, leading to the routine exploitation of consumers.
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