[dropcap]B[/dropcap]enin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) may face a difficult time in Delta State as electricity consumers in Ezenei,Asaba district are perfecting plans for mass disconnection from public power supply.
Investigation by Grassroots Publishers revealed that the action of the consumers is as a result of anger arising from exorbitant bills imposed on the consumers by the BEDC.
The fact which emerged within the week is fuelled by high bills currently being distributed and have met stiff rejection. According to some of the aggrieved consumers who pleaded anonymity, the current bills being distributed is a confirmation of the orchestrated agenda of BEDC to impose hardship on Deltans for selfish gain since March.
The aggrieved consumers noted that the hidden agenda of BEDC started last year, when the company imposed crazy bills on Deltans ranging from N12, 000 to 25,000 indiscriminately on occupants of two and three bedroom flats respectively.
They said the insensitivity of BEDC continued as the company ignored consumers’ protests and public outcry and distributed another high bills in April ranging from N9, 000 to N20, 000 and capped it with yet high bills in June when the company did not supply light in May.
Information also scooped within the week revealed that some consumers have concluded plans to drag BEDC to court to explain the high bills being imposed on Deltans. A dependable source at the company’s Ezenei district office in Asaba, told The Grassroots Publishers that some consumers had been coming for their monthly metre readings as part of information being gathered to slam law suits on BEDC.
The inside source blamed the high bills on the management of BEDC by choosing to use estimated bills instead of working on the metre readings presented for computation by the marketing staff.
Electricity consumers in Ezenei, Asaba and environs in Delta State, have accused officials and management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), of its outrageous and estimated bills being imposed on them, describing it as exploitative, fraudulent, wicked and intentional.
A customer, residing at Nwadu Okobi street off Ezenei in Asaba town of the State, who pleaded anonymity while speaking to Grassroots Publishers, accused the electricity company of outrageous and crazy bills even when there is no power supply.Another customer who also never wanted his name in print for fear of being singled out, disclosed that since he moved into his apartment in April 1, 2017, he has always been given outrageous bills even when there is no light. “How can you charge a two bedroom flat apartment #20,000.00 every month, what am using?”‘ he asked.
Displaying the recent bill given to him, he said the electricity company do not even come for monthly Metre Reading noting that when you look at the place of Metre Reading in the bill, it is written NA which he said he could only interpret to be ‘Not Available’ while in the place of date it is also written, ‘Not Available’ and the area of bill type, he said it is written MD Average.
Speaking further, the customer said, he has also drawn the attention of the BEDC Marketer Manager in Ezenei area office and complained to him about the outrageous bill, but he only told him that, he will what he can do. He further stated that not satisfied with the response from the manager and at the office, he sent a mail to the head office and put a call across to the customer care line severally to complain, but no response was given.
The customer who was so bittered added that, this month bill, which is feburary bill, it is so amazing that even when they give light three hours for over two months now, he was still given an estimated bill of #20, 000,00.
He called on the Delta State government and other relevant authority to wade into the matter as it has become an avenue for BEDC official to defraud, steal and exploit their customers as some compounds of three blocks of flat pays #3,000.00 monthly while only one flat pays #20,000.00.