The South East Electricity Consumers Association (SEECA) has condemned the 300 per cent increase in tariff announced recently by the Federal government.
Consequently, they have demanded that prepaid meters be installed in every household and businesses before the implementation of the new tariff.
The Chairman and Secretary of the association, Rev. Okechukwu Christopher Obioha and Mr Ogubuike Ibeagi, respectively, made this known through a statement issued after a meeting of electricity consumers in the South East.
The association, at the meeting, resolved that henceforth, no consumer of electricity under the EEDC should pay for prepaid meter.
“No consumer of electricity under the DisCo EEDC should pay for prepaid meter. Meter is the property of EEDC and therefore by law must be issued free to consumers.
“No individual or community should buy or provide transformers for their electricity consumption. If that is very unavoidable, the transformer procurement should be done after negotiations and MOUs with the EEDC or Geometrics.
“In that case if feasible, the cost of the transformer should be imputed in the energy usage of the consumers involved by the DisCo
“EEDC must give at least two weeks notice after delivery of bills on consumption as estimated if not contested, before cutting of lights,” the statement said.
The association further demanded that estimated bills be stopped, and prepaid meters issued to all consumers, failing which consumers’ electricity supply should not be pampered with.
The statement added that the association “frowned and condemned the 300% increase in tariff announced by the Federal government, and strongly request that prepaid meters be installed to every household and businesses before the implementation”.