A bill for an Act to amend the Electric Power Reform Act which prohibits and criminalises the estimated billing by the Electricity Distribution Companies in Nigeria has passed the third reading in the House of Representatives.
The House unanimously voted in favour of the bill when it was brought up at the plenary by the Deputy Speaker, Yussuf Lasun (APC-Osun).
The bill was spearheaded by the Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila (APC-Lagos) and had scaled public hearing on Tuesday, June 5, 2018.
During the public hearing, Gbajabiamila said there was nowhere else on earth where customers are billed for electricity arbitrarily as obtains in Nigeria, he said the estimated billing could only be used in situations where the customer’s meter is inaccessible by the energy company.
“Any regulation that allows estimation of bills when the actual consumption can be ascertained is against natural justice and equity and should not stand,’’ Gbajabiamila said.
Gbajabiamila concluded by stating that when the bill is passed, it would bring to an end the practice of estimated billing by the DisCos.
“The bill will ensure that prepaid meters are installed in all houses, so long as the customers apply for the meters,” he said.