Residents of Agbarho town in Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, have warned the management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to discontinue all forms of estimated billing system or otherwise face their wrath.
The residents who staged a heavy protest blocking the Agbarho section of the East-West road to drive home their demands, Wednesday, also called on BEDC to void all estimated bills it imposed on them, saying they would no longer make any payments until pre-paid meters are installed in the community.
The residents in their thousands, thronged the road protesting against the unwillingness of the company to provide them with pre-paid meters, lamenting the outrageous estimated electricity bills being imposed on them by the company.
Displaying placards which bore various inscriptions such as “Void previous estimated bills“; “We need pre-paid meters”, “No more estimated bills” amongst others, warned the company against further disconnection of electricity in the town over non-payment of the estimated bills.
Speaking during the protest, President General of the Agbarho kingdom, Chief Igho Odiphri, said: “BDEC don’t supply electricity but they are giving us estimated bills.
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“We shall not pay any estimated bills again. If they don’t give us pre-paid meters, they should not attempt to climb any pole in this town to say they are disconnecting light.
“The Federal Government has said they should not bill anyone unless they give them pre-paid meters. Someone just sent me his bill. They gave an estimated bill of N41,000 for a single compound; What is he consuming?
“Since 2016, the kingdom has been writing letters to BEDC over this epileptic power supply, but nothing has been done about it. All the estimated electricity bills should be voided. If they must give us the bill, they should give us pre-paid meters,” he said.
