Lagos Customer Accuses Ikeja Electric of Extortion Over N240,752 Bill, Undelivered Prepaid Meter
A Lagos resident, identified as Chief Oluwo, has accused Ikeja Electric of alleged extortion, arbitrary billing and unjustified disconnection after the electricity distribution company reportedly failed to replace his damaged prepaid meter despite receiving N206,181 for a new one.
Oluwo, who narrated his experience to the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), said his prepaid meter got burnt in April, prompting him to report the incident at the company’s Oregun office.
He alleged that despite several efforts to secure a replacement, Ikeja Electric failed to resolve the matter for months, leaving his property without a functioning prepaid meter.
According to him, the company initially advised him to apply for a replacement meter and rewire his house to ensure proper distribution of electrical loads across the three phases.
However, he said technical difficulties with Ikeja Electric’s application portal prevented him from submitting a fresh application for several weeks.
The situation reportedly forced the electricity company to connect his property directly to an electricity pole and commence estimated billing.
Oluwo explained that while he previously spent about N100,000 on electricity, which could last him more than three months, the company began issuing monthly estimated bills of N73,546 from May.
He said he continued paying the bills despite his reservations, hoping the meter replacement issue would eventually be resolved.
However, the customer alleged that Ikeja Electric increased his monthly bill from N73,546 to N240,752 in September, representing an increase of approximately 227 per cent.
He reportedly rejected the new bill and continued paying the previous amount, but the company subsequently disconnected his electricity supply.
Oluwo described the development as unfair, insisting that he was not responsible for the damaged meter or the technical difficulties that delayed his replacement application.
He also questioned the company’s explanation that his property had been moved from Band B to Band A, arguing that other residents on the same street had not experienced a similar adjustment.
The customer further alleged that Ikeja Electric could not account for the remaining electricity credit on his damaged prepaid meter, including his last recharge of N200,000.
N206,181 PAID FOR METER WITHOUT DELIVERY
In another development, Oluwo said he eventually succeeded in completing the replacement meter application and paid N206,181 to Ikeja Electric on September 30.
He claimed that although the company acknowledged the payment and promised to deliver and install the replacement meter, it had yet to fulfil the commitment.
Expressing frustration over the prolonged delay, he accused the company of failing to communicate adequately with him despite the substantial payment.
He called on Ikeja Electric to immediately deliver and install the prepaid meter, cancel what he described as an artificially inflated estimated bill and account for the unused electricity credit on his damaged meter.
Oluwo also demanded that his electricity supply be restored within 48 hours, threatening to seek redress through the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) if the matter remained unresolved.
IKEJA ELECTRIC DEFENDS DISCONNECTION
Responding to the allegations, an Ikeja Electric official identified as Chris reportedly denied that the company disconnected Oluwo’s property without following the required procedure.
Chris maintained that the company had issued a disconnection order, explaining that its officials visited the property when nobody was available and left the notice at the entrance gate.
He also claimed to have a copy of the disconnection order.
However, Oluwo’s aide challenged the explanation, questioning why the company, which regularly sent electricity bills and received payment evidence through WhatsApp, could not use the same channel to communicate the disconnection notice.
The aide also said the company had failed to provide the exact date the electricity supply was disconnected.
On the undelivered prepaid meter, Chris reportedly advised Oluwo to return to the company’s office to lodge another complaint and obtain a service request code from the customer service department.
He promised to personally follow up on the matter once the customer shared the reference number with him.
COMPANY’S MEDIA OFFICE YET TO RESPOND
The FIJ report further stated that attempts to obtain comments from Ikeja Electric’s Community and Media Relations Manager, Olufadekemi Badejo, were unsuccessful, as she reportedly neither answered calls nor responded to WhatsApp and text messages.
Calls to the company’s corporate headquarters also went unanswered, while an email seeking its official position had not received a response as of the time the report was published.
The allegations against Ikeja Electric had therefore remained disputed, with the company yet to provide a comprehensive official response to the customer’s complaints.
c)FIJ
