A major change will be lurking in the corners for electricity distribution companies as a bill seeking to criminalize the use of ‘estimated billing’ in the computation of electricity used by Nigerian consumers has passed the first reading on the floor of the House of Representatives.
The bill which is sponsored by the House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) who represents Surulere I. Federal constituency, contains sections which seek to criminalize the random estimation of power consumed by consumers who have not yet been supplied pre-paid meters.
In a press release, media aide Olarenwaju Smart quoted the lawmaker as saying that the bill was necessitated by complaints from Nigerians across the country, who felt that regulations put in place by the executive failed to curb the high-handedness of electricity distribution companies. He also added that the legislation will resolve the problems arising from technical altering of existing pre-paid meters which leads to an incommensurate calculation of purchased electricity credit.
If the bill is passed into law, officials of electricity distribution companies who have been found guilty of illegally disconnecting a consumer or failing to provide a pre-paid meter for a consumer after 30 days of application will be liable to six months imprisonment.
The lawmaker gave the assurance that, irrespective of party affiliation, legislators will keep pushing until the bill is signed into law.
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