Power: Consumers Decry Transfer To Band ‘A’ Amid Poor Supply

Many electricity consumers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have decried transfer of their electricity tariff to Band A in spite of not having 20 hours power supply.

The consumers, who reside in Kubwa, Lugbe and environs spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday.

According to them, they are shocked to see themselves in Band A without any notice from the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

Band A customers are those who receive at least 20 hours of electricity supply daily and are expected to pay N209.5 per Kilowatts hour (KWh).

The consumers also complained that they do not have power supply for up to 10 hours in a day.
A civil servant, Erica Ekama, who resides in Kubwa said that she was shocked when she recharged her meter and was given 22.2 units for N5,000.
Ekama said that the area she lived in Kubwa does not get power supply for 10 hours a day.
Ekama said it was even more annoying that in the same Kubwa, some consumers were still buying at the old tariff rate.

She said: ”Why should I be paying for Band A services when I hardly get power supply for 10 hours a day.
“Why are some consumers in the same Kubwa still buying at the old rate? I don’t understand AEDC anymore.

”The company should look into this issue seriously because it is not right to be collecting money for services not rendered, ” she said.

Mathew Ojei, who also resides at Kubwa, said that he also experienced the same thing as he recharged N2,000 but was given just 8.2 units.

Ojei said that he was not on Band A and if AEDC was putting consumers in that area on Band A, they should give them the services required.
”I am not on Band A, why am I paying so much for electricity when I don’t enjoy up to 20 hours a day power supply, ” he said.
Mrs Osas Iwinosa told NAN that she recharged N 5,000 and was given 22.2 units.
Iwinosa said when she saw the units and inquired from her neighbours in the same compound if they were now on Band A, they said that they were still buying the old rate.

”My problem is that there are five flats in a compound and only one flat is paying Band A tariff and others are still on the old tariff.

”I cannot understand the way the movement of consumers to Band A is taking place, so AEDC should please look into the issue and make amendments,” she said.

Also, a consumer residing at Lugbe, Omolara Taiwo also complained of the same movement to Band A.

According toTaiwo, she did not understand why some people are on Band C and others in the same compound are forced into Band A.

She said that AEDC should look into the issue, adding that it was not fair on those paying higher tariff than others and having the same number of hours of power supply.