By CHIDI MATTHEW NWACHUKWU

The Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) a pro-democracy and environmental rights-focused civil society group in Abia State, has urged the Aba Power Limited Electric (APLE) in Aba-Ringed Fence Area to end average vending in the area.

In a statement signed by the organisation’s Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor on Wednesday, lamented that the estimated billing has left many residents and businesses in area with exorbitant electricity bills.

Nwafor, noted that APLE’s reliance on “average vending” – a method where unmetered consumers are billed based on the average energy consumption of others in the same feeder – is a breach of the Power Sector Reforms Act.

He further stated that FENRAD’s investigation revealed that some unmetered consumers in the Ogbor Hill axis pay as much as N45,000 to N50,000 monthly, exceeding their monthly and annual house rents.

The organization urged APLE to accelerate its metering program to ensure that all consumers are metered, and to put an end to estimated billing.

In addition to the metering issue, FENRAD also raised concerns over the current tariff regime, which it says is not aligned with the Aba earning capacity.

The organisation also criticized APLE for disobeying a court injunction to stop disconnections and for seizing consumers’ cables after disconnection.

“APLE has yet to obey a subsisting court injunction mandating it to stop disconnection in the city. Contrarily, FENRAD gathered is that disconnection still continued after the court order.

“APLE saying it had not been served any order, even when ignorance is not an excuse. This makes the company a corporate lawbreaker instead of a good corporate citizen.

“Again, against the provision of regulatory laws and industry practice, APLE workers still seize people’s cable after disconnection. While non-payment of bills attract supply disconnection, nothing guarantees confiscation of cable or wire,” he said.

Nwafor therefore called on APLE to engage in dialogue with consumers and to address the issues raised to ensure that consumers receive fair and reliable energy services.

“In conclusion, the FENRAD calls on the company to accelerate the Meter Asset Programme (MAP) to enable it meter all consumers, Open dialogue with Aba Resident on the workable tariffs order and broader her community engagement and interface This is because the issue of average vending, another name for estimated billing, will continue if all consumers are not included In the metering project. To make the claim of “cost reflective tariff” logical, the gap in metering must be addressed,” he said.