Electricity tariff: Customers in Plateau rejects increment

Electricity consumers in Plateau have rejected the proposed increment in electricity tariff by the Jos Electrical Distribution Company (JEDC).

The consumers made their position known on Tuesday, in Jos at an interactive forum organised by the company for stakeholders and consumers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports

that the company had proposed a jack-up in the tariff owing to the increase in price of gas and the present high exchange rate of Naira to Dollar.

Mr. Peter Owoicho of Dadin-Kowa area of Jos, said that the proposed increment would do more harm than good.

He urged the company to look inward and device means of addressing their challenges, rather than settling for tariff increment.

”Increasing the electricity tariff at this material time, will only add salt to an existing injury.

”I will rather advise that the company should improve in the provison of infrastructure, such as, quality poles and pre-paid metres.

”The point am trying to score is that, with the pre-paid metres, the billing will be low but it will facilitate quick turn-over as customers will pay their bills as at when due,” he said.

Another customer, Peter Udoh of Kabon village, said the proposed increment would create more hardships on the poor and the lower class of the society.

Udoh also said that with the modern metres installed in houses, consumers would be convinced that they were paying for what they consumed.

Responding, the Executive Director, Marketing and Investment of the company, Mr Verr Jirbo, said the increment would enable the company to provide better service to its consumers.

According to him, plans are plans to provide more quality poles, modern metres and high voltage trasnformers.

”We have concluded plans to bring in over 10, 000 pre-paid metres to augment the already existing ones.

”We are not proposing this increment on baseless grounds, rather we feel we can do better if we have more funds at our disposal.

”However, since most customers seem not to be at home with this proposed plan, we will go back, discuss with our regulators,” he said.