The Jos Electricity Distribution Company has said that it is ready to start rolling out prepaid meters to residents of Gombe State from July 5.
The JEDCO Regional Manager in charge of Gombe State, Sani Hamza, who said this in a telephone interview with Northern City News on Sunday, urged the residents to exercise patience with the company as it was doing all within its power to ensure that they received their meters this time.
“I have been in touch with the metering company and it has told us that unfailingly by July 5, it will supply Gombe State with prepaid meters. We are hopeful that this time, the meters will be here,” Hamza said.
He made this promise at a time that residents of Gombe metropolis as well as the suburbs, especially Sabonline and Yalenguruza, are groaning about the increasing rates they are made to pay through estimated billing.
The affected residents claim that the amount of energy supplied was not commensurate with the cost, neither was it at par with what residents of parts of the city such as Tumfure, Federal Low Cost and the Government Reserved Area were paying.
The owner of a mini canteen located in Sabonline, who identified himself simply as Idris, said the absence of prepaid meters was responsible for the outrageous bills residents of the area were receiving as bills monthly.
“It is unfortunate the way JEDCO prefers crazy billing; it is sad how those who are not metered bear the pains for others’ consumption. It is crazy how wickedness in the name of the business is dignified by JEDCO officials. They deliberately use unmetered locations to make up for areas that are metered,” he said.
The same sentiment was expressed by another business owner, Mrs Sambo, who operates a hair salon at Yalenguruza, she said, “Sometimes, I feel like I’m being cheated for not having a prepaid meter. I open my shop in the morning and by 7pm I have locked up but unfortunately, it is around 7pm that JEDCO restores the light.
the cost of operating a generator and the estimated cost energy charge, I get sick.”
Northern City News can confirm that this is not the first time the distribution company is promising to provide meters to electricity consumers.
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