TheCable

‎The senate on Tuesday directed the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to immediately abolish fixed charges on electricity meters.

It also directed NERC “to a make a regulation to mandate the DISCOs to discontinue the practice of making consumers pay for meters, ‎poles and transformers which by law are property of the DISCOs, but where the consumers provide those items, they should give notice of the provision to the DISCOs and should be entitled to recover their expenses from subsequent consumption of electricity”.

The senate further directed NERC to ask “the DISCOs to discontinue the practice of compulsory bulk metering of villages and communities in the rural areas as a c‎onsumer should have the right to elect to be part of bulk metering scheme or not.”

It equally called on the nation’s electricity regulator “to bring an end to the monopoly of the D‎ISCOs on the sales of energy meters to enable consumers to purchase them either from the DISCOs or from any other supplier subject to the regulation and specification of NERC, and also account for all the money that has been so far collected on fixed charges across the country.”

In a motion moved by the Sam Egwu (Ebonyi north) the senate said it was aware that the electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) since their take-off had been ripping off consumers through fixed charges and bulk metering across the country.

It observed that some areas in the country were still billed through the estimated billing system, which it said “does not make provision for payment of only that is consumed, even though bills are dished out without commensurate services being offered by the distribution companies.‎”

The senate said it was concerned that “despite all efforts‎ by the government however, there has been constant level of arbitrariness, whereby electricity consumers are charged extortionate rates, fixed rate, based on the use of the billed meters installed by the then Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).”

Debating the motion, Ben Murray-Bruce (Bayelsa) argued in support of checking the “excesses” of the DISCOs.

He said at his company “Silverbird”, the electricity distribution company keeps sending conflicting bil‎ls reaching about N20 million a month while the electricity meter in its custody.

‎Also speaking, Clifford Odia (Edo) aligned himself with Murray-Bruce’ argument, but stated that the senate must take a tough stand against the unsavoury practices of the DISCOs.

Samuel Anyanwu (Imo), in his argument, called on the senate to give “teeth” to its resolutions by making sure that erring electricity distribution company are held accountable.

Other senators who spoke followed the same pattern of expressing support for the motion.

After the senate resolved to direct NERC to stop fixed charges on electricity, Bukola Saraki, senate president,‎ hinted that a public hearing on power would he held by the senate to look at ways of moving the sector forward.