The House of Representatives on Thursday, 4th October 2019 passed three bills sponsored by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, one of which seeks to criminalize the estimated billing of electricity consumers by Distribution Companies(DisCo).
Vigil360 gathered that if the proposed law is concurred with by the Senate and assented to by the President, it will become criminal for service providers to issue estimated bills, also known as ‘crazy bills’, issuance of which would attract either a one-year jail term or a fine of N1 million or both.
Also, the proposed law would also compel DisCos to provide prepaid meter to an applicant within 30 days, while barring the DIsCOs from disconnecting the consumer after the 30-day period within which meter should be installed.
The Electric Power Sector Reform Act (Amendment) Bill 2018, which Gbajabiamila, then as Majority Leader, presented in the Eighth National Assembly, was re-presented in July 2019.
The bill is entitled, ‘A bill for an act to amend the electric power sector reforms Act to prohibit and criminalize estimated billing by electricity distribution companies and provide for compulsory installation of pre-paid meters to all power consumers in Nigeria and other related matters.’
Leading the debate on the bill, Gbajabiamila condemned the DisCOs for whimsically issuing estimated bills on a monthly basis.
This billing, according to him, is not known by any scientific rule.
