The Edo State Consumer Protection Committee (CPC) and the Management of the Committee has demanded the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to immediate stop the illegal migration of consumers to different Bands (Band A, B, C) without their consent and without commensurate improvement in hours of supply.
The Committee made the demand during its advocacy visit to the corporate headquarters of BEDC on Akpakpava Road, Benin City, Edo State capital.
The visit was led by its Chairman, Mr. Iyamu Osaro Culture, in company of Edo South Coordinator, alongside leaders of Civil Society Organization (CSOs) and members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ),
The complaints presented to BEDC Management are as follows:
Estimated ("Crazy") Billing and Over-Billing: Customers receive exorbitant bills running into hundreds of thousands of naira monthly despite little or no supply. Many households and small businesses are billed over ₦100,000 monthly under erratic or zero supply. Consumers allege they have lost millions of naira over the years through estimated billing for services not rendered. Even after migration to prepaid meters, overcharging and arbitrary deductions persist.
Prolonged Power Outages/Blackouts: Many communities experience outages lasting months and even years. Residents are compelled to pay for repairs and replacement of faulty equipment while still facing darkness and continued billing.
Metering Problems: Meters under the Federal Government free/subsidized metering programs are allegedly sold at exorbitant prices ranging from ₦150,000 to ₦400,000, with extra illegal charges for installation/mapping of ₦10,000 to ₦25,000. Delays in metering perpetuate the estimated billing regime.
Infrastructure Burden Shifted to Communities: Residents and communities are compelled to purchase transformers, poles, cables and other equipment costing between ₦3 million to ₦15 million, donate same to BEDC, and still pay installation fees. Faulty equipment is thereafter not maintained or replaced. BEDC is also reported to demand extra payments to energize transformers provided by communities or constituencies.
Staff Misconduct and Extortion: Reports of bribery, illegal collections, intimidation and unprofessional conduct by field staff persist. Although BEDC has publicly dismissed some staff for embezzlement and unauthorized collections, consumers report that the practice still lingers.
Poor Service Quality vs High Charges: Epileptic supply, indiscriminate load shedding and months-long blackouts continue alongside high and disputed bills.
The Recommendations, Demands Resolution:
Arising from the above, and in line with the SHINE Agenda of His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Monday Okpebholo, Executive Governor of Edo State, we demanded as follows:
That Edo State Consumer Protection Committee will immediately constitute a Joint Complaint Resolution Committee comprising Edo CPC Members, BEDC Management, CSOs, NGO’s Community Heads, Security Agencies and NUJ to address complaints transparently on a daily basis.
Establishment of functional and accessible Service Centers for Meter complaints, replacement and activation across all LGAs.
An immediate stop to the illegal migration of consumers to different Bands (Band A, B, C) without their consent and without commensurate improvement in hours of supply.
That BEDC must publish and display its Operational Heads in various branches with their official phone numbers, to enable consumers interface with genuine staff and avoid extortion by impostors.
That customers must stop purchasing transformers and installation materials for BEDC. BEDC should provide transformers and installation materials without delay as part of its statutory obligation.