A residential Band A electricity customer in Gwarinpa has slammed the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company as his electricity bill increased to N836,000 in a single month in May 2024 from N85,294 in April.

This was contained in a complaint request sighted by DAILY POST on Tuesday.

According to the letter dated June 24, 2024, the electricity customer, Osinachukwu Nnadi with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission in copy, received the estimated billing with rude shock on June 21.

He noted that the highest bill he had received was N85,000 in April when he was informed that his three-bedroom flat in the Setraco area of Gwarinpa fell under Band A (With Meter No 721338022).

According to him, his bills in January 2024 were N29,179.37, N44,315.00 (February), N48,607.95 (March), and N85,294.06 (April).

“We have been receiving increment in bills since the beginning of the year (2024) with no explanation as to why the increase; we have always paid within the time frame given.

“However, I received with rude shock on Friday, June 21, 2024, the outrageous energy bill of N836,834.40 for May 2024 for a 3-bedroom Residential flat located at the above address and I feel it was an erroneous bill hence this letter.

“We have been tenants in this apartment for years and this bill is incongruent with previous bills received after our pre-paid meter got bad as reported by your officials and all efforts to replace same have not been successful, which led to an estimation of bills.

“Moreso, we have not added any energy-consuming equipment thereafter”, he said in the letter.

Recall that in April 2024, NERC approved a 245 percent electricity tariff hike to N225 per Kilowatt-hour from N66kwh.

However, amid complaints, NERC approved N18 reduction to N215 per kWh.

Meanwhile, Organised Labour had listed electricity tariff hike as part of their demand during the suspended indefinite strike.