The Consumer Protection Council is making plans to stop the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria from arbitrary billing of Nigerian consumers of electricity over services not enjoyed. Its Director General, Ifeyinwa Umenyi, told journalists on Wednesday in Abuja.
She said a survey conducted by the council shows that it has become a tradition with the PHCN to always bill consumers of electricity on what they referred to as maintenance charges, as far as the consumers are connected to the PHCN national grid.
"This maintenance fee is irrespective of whether such consumers use electricity or not. It also observed that neither the NERC nor the PHCN carries out any such routine maintenance on the consumers' meters," she said. "Nigerian consumers should be treated with all sense of respect, without which services and products will not, in the first place be found in the market place." She said discussions are ongoing with the NERC over the issues, as survey carried out revealed that consumers repeatedly keep making the same complaints over the ill treatment meted on them by officials of the PHCN.
"The meters are collected and the consumers made to pay again, the same amount to obtain new ones. That is where and when they are available," she said. "What the PHCN or NERC refers to as maintenance fees will be eliminated, as there is no basis for such fee since no routine maintenance is being carried by the agencies."
No provision for charges
But a senior official of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, who pleaded anonymity in a telephone chat, explained that the charge was necessary because the technology is new and is still being tested.
Asked whether the company has provision for a refund when meters are not maintained, he simply said, "there is no provision for that." Mrs Umenyi however hinted that the enforcement functions of the council will be restricted until the National Assembly decides to pass the council's amendment bill currently before it into law. She said there are hopes over the passage of the bill in the nearest future, as it has already scaled through second reading at the upper chambers of the National Assembly.
"By then, we will be able to carry out enforcement function at optimal level," she said.
"I am sure it will soon commence. I have taken the pains to speak on the bill with some law makers. I have met and they have seen reason for quick passage of the bill."
Source:http://234next.com/
She said a survey conducted by the council shows that it has become a tradition with the PHCN to always bill consumers of electricity on what they referred to as maintenance charges, as far as the consumers are connected to the PHCN national grid.
"This maintenance fee is irrespective of whether such consumers use electricity or not. It also observed that neither the NERC nor the PHCN carries out any such routine maintenance on the consumers' meters," she said. "Nigerian consumers should be treated with all sense of respect, without which services and products will not, in the first place be found in the market place." She said discussions are ongoing with the NERC over the issues, as survey carried out revealed that consumers repeatedly keep making the same complaints over the ill treatment meted on them by officials of the PHCN.
"The meters are collected and the consumers made to pay again, the same amount to obtain new ones. That is where and when they are available," she said. "What the PHCN or NERC refers to as maintenance fees will be eliminated, as there is no basis for such fee since no routine maintenance is being carried by the agencies."
No provision for charges
But a senior official of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, who pleaded anonymity in a telephone chat, explained that the charge was necessary because the technology is new and is still being tested.
Asked whether the company has provision for a refund when meters are not maintained, he simply said, "there is no provision for that." Mrs Umenyi however hinted that the enforcement functions of the council will be restricted until the National Assembly decides to pass the council's amendment bill currently before it into law. She said there are hopes over the passage of the bill in the nearest future, as it has already scaled through second reading at the upper chambers of the National Assembly.
"By then, we will be able to carry out enforcement function at optimal level," she said.
"I am sure it will soon commence. I have taken the pains to speak on the bill with some law makers. I have met and they have seen reason for quick passage of the bill."
Source:http://234next.com/
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