Reps Pass Bill Criminalising Estimated Billing

The House of Representatives has passed a bill for an Act to amend the Electric Power Reform Act to prohibit and criminalise estimated billing by the Electricity Distribution Companies.

The bill was passed during a plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Hon Yussuf Lasun, after it was read for the third time by the Clerk, at the floor of the House yesterday.

The bill, which was sponsored by the Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, was unanimously voted in support when it was put to voice vote.

The bill which contains sections criminalising the arbitrary estimation of energy consumed by consumers, who have not been supplied pre-paid meters by the electricity distribution companies, had scaled public hearing on Tuesday, June 5, 2018.


Speaking at the public hearing Gbajabiamila said there was nowhere in the world where electricity customers are billed arbitrarily as obtains in Nigeria.

Gbajabiamila said, “Any regulation that allows estimation of bills when the actual consumption can be ascertained is against natural justice and equity and should not stand.”

He then maintained that the bill would put an end to the estimated billing by the DisCos when passed