Estimated bills: NBET, GenCos fraudulent – DisCos

Power distribution companies has accused the electricity Generating Companies of colluding with the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company in the issuance of invoices with higher capacity charges than energy charges to the Distribution Companies.
This, Discos explained, accounts for the electricity bills often transmitted to power consumers, especially those under the estimated billing system.
They therefore said it was wrong for fixed charges from the GenCos to be higher than the cost of the energy they sell.
Executive Director, Association of National Electricity Distributors, an umbrella body for the Discos, Mr.
Sunday Oduntan, made the allegations at a media parley yesterday in Abuja.
He queried: “Why should capacity charge be higher than energy charge? I’m buying a product from you and the product is energy.
But when you send me your invoice, the fixed charge is much higher than the energy charge you said I had received.
This is why the invoice keeps going up.
“So, I think it is now time for the government to look at this issue.
Between the Gencos and the NBET, we need to see transparency.
They should open their books for us to see what is there.
There is a need for more transparency between the Gencos and NBET, enough of any fraud in the system.” Continuing, the distributors said, “we are not stupid.
They should open their books and let everybody see it.
You cannot continue to say we are owing you money and you cannot tell me how that money came about.
My customers who get estimated bills are saying, ‘Disco tell me how I used this power for I’m not paying for darkness.’ “The same thing is what we are saying to the Gencos, I’m not paying capacity charges that are going to be more than the energy charge.
Why should I pay for the cost of your investment when my customer do not pay for my own fixed charge? It is the same thing.
And to now doctored invoice, that is unacceptable.”