Outrage has erupted in Abia State after residents of the World Bank Housing Estate in Umuahia accused the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) of imposing excessive charges, with bills reportedly soaring from ₦9,000 to ₦47,000 per home in July.
At a protest outside the EEDC office in Umuahia, residents brandished placards denouncing “astronomical” tariffs and condemning what they described as exploitative billing practices. “Most of us are civil servants or pensioners who cannot afford these bills,” said the estate’s acting residents’ association president, Florence Kanu.
She also alleged that EEDC was demanding ₦100,000 from applicants for prepaid meters, despite official guidelines stating that consumers should not be charged for them.
In its defence, EEDC’s Umuahia District operations manager, Engineer Amaga, said the increase was the result of the estate being reclassified under “Band A metering,” where customers are billed at higher rates but guaranteed longer hours of electricity supply.
The dispute underscores growing tensions over electricity pricing in Nigeria, where consumers frequently complain about arbitrary billing, lack of prepaid meters, and poor service despite rising tariffs.
