Gbajabiamila Introduces Bill To Stop Use Of ‘Estimated Billing’ By DISCOs

The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila has introduced a bill to criminalise the use of ‘estimated billing’ in the calculation of electricity consumed and to be paid for by consumers by Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies.

The bill sponsored by the member representing Surulere 1 Federal Constituency has passed first reading in the House of Representatives. It contains sections criminalising the arbitrary estimation of energy consumed by consumers who had not been supplied pre-paid meters by the electricity distribution companies.

In a press statement, Gbajabiamila’s media aide, Olanrewaju Smart, quoted the lawmaker as saying that the bill was necessitated by complaints from constituents across the country who felt regulations by the executive had failed to arrest the highhandedness of electricity distribution companies.

Furthermore, Hon Gbajabiamila said that the legislation would resolve the unfavorable technical manipulations of the reading pattern of existing pre-paid meters, which had led to incommensurate calculation of purchased electricity credit.

The bill recommends six months imprisonment for any official of an electricity distribution company found guilty of illegally disconnecting a customer or failing to provide a pre-paid meter for a client after 30 days of application.

Gbajabiamila guaranteed that the legislators would push the bill until it is signed into law.