Residents of Millennium City in Kaduna State have accused Kaduna Electric of imposing prepaid meters and high tariff bands on them without proper consultation.
The affected communities, which include MPH Estate, TUC Estate, Urban Shelter Estate, Yardan Allah Estate, Highfield Estate, Rahusa Estate, Danbushiya Village, Sabon Gari, Keke, and Doka, alleged that the company disconnected their power supply for rejecting the new meters.
They explained that Kaduna Electric’s action violated the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) directive, which requires distribution companies to engage communities before any metering or tariff changes are implemented.
The residents also protested their migration to Band A tariff, usually meant for industrial or high-demand areas, saying the classification was unfair as their neighborhoods are purely residential. They complained that despite being on Band A, they still experience less than 20 hours of electricity daily.
One of the residents lamented that the poor power supply has led to losses, saying, “Our goods are spoiling in fridges. They said we are on Band A, but we hardly get 15 hours of light on a good day.”
However, Kaduna Electric, through its Deputy Managing Director, Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed, defended the company’s decision, saying it was in line with regulatory guidelines. He explained that under NERC rules, at least 40 percent of power supply must be allocated to Band A feeders, and customers do not have the option to choose their tariff band.
Mohammed added that the metering project was part of a World Bank–supported initiative designed to eliminate estimated billing and promote transparency in power consumption.
The development has continued to generate reactions across the affected estates, with community associations calling on regulatory authorities to intervene and ensure fairness in the metering and tariff classification process.
PR: Adamu Yusuf
