SAN FRANCISCO, April 11, (THEWILL) – The National Union of Electricity Employers (NUEE) has alleged that Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) are adding to the power outages nationwide by rejecting load from Generation Companies (GENCOs), thereby worsening power supply to customers.
The Union, on Monday, declared that the DISCOs have devised a means of rejecting load as a way of cutting costs adding that the action was impacting most negatively on end users of electricity, including residents and businesses at a time the country was also grappling with one of its worst fuel crisis in history.
Although it agrees that generation to the national grid has dropped drastically to about 2,500 megawatts, it however declares that the unpatriotic act of rejecting load allocation by the DISCOs, is encouraged by the absence of prepaid meters in most homes and offices.
“The situation allows the DISCOs to operate with estimated billing, which they foist on customers,” the union declared.
“The DISCOs know that whether or not they supply, they would distribute bill to their customers who must pay.
“And even the bill is estimated, not based on consumption, so it is not a surprise that they are rejecting load to slash costs. But this unpatriotic act is at the expense of helpless customers who do not have any alternative.
Joe Ajaero, General Secretary of NUEE, was more specific as he accused Ikeja Distribution Company (IKEDC) as one of the DISCOS guilty of load rejection activities.
He alleged that the company was giving priority to heavy industry, from where it rakes in millions, while leaving homes and small companies within their jurisdiction in darkness.
Story by David Oputah
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