Some residents of Kubwa, a satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have decried arbitrary increment in their monthly electricity bill by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Kubwa branch.

A resident, Mr Morgan Ide, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja, accused the AEDC of intimidating the residents with threats of disconnection.

”They hide under the guise of estimated billing and impose heavy bills on us, especially at PW.

”How can one bed room apartment attract over N14,000 per month; it is strangulating.

”We are all supposed to have metres but they still play pranks with it.

”I appeal to the persons concerned to intervene and save us from these people because the bills keep increasing every month,” he said.

Another respondent, Olu Abdul, said that he was aware that the Federal Government recently ordered Electricity Distribution Companies to provide metres to Nigerians.

Abdul said that the company preferred giving estimated bills because they made more money from it.

”It is so sad that upon the epileptic power supply, we still get heavily tasked by AEDC in PW, Kubwa.

”The Federal Government directed that metres be distributed but instead of that, what we get every month is exponential increment in our bills.

”We are talking about change and it should be holistic; we are paying with pains,” he said.

Mrs Remi Ojo said she started paying from N1, 200 for her one bed room apartment in 2010 and pays N14,000 for same flat in 2016.

She said she had lodged several complaints to AEDC office in Kubwa all to no avail.

Mr John Okeke said that attempts to buy metre on his own were unsuccessful due to the high cost.

”I waited for the free metres and I have not seen any so I decided to buy one.

”I was told the metres sell at 25,000 apiece and I cannot afford that because a lot of other responsibilities are waiting.

”We need to stage a protest to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Company (NERC) or probably sue AEDC.

In his reaction, Mr Ahmed Shekarau, the AEDC Public Relations Officer, said that the complaint would be looked into.

Shekarau noted that the new tariff took effect from Feb. 1, which meant that every bill attracted 25 per cent increment.

He advised that while the company was working toward distributing metres, anyone who could afford it should buy one as AEDC lacked the resources to cover all at present. (NAN)