The House of Representatives has passed a bill to prevent electricity distribution companies from issuing estimated billing to electricity consumers in Nigeria. 

The bill, which is one of the three bills sponsored by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila also seeks to criminalise issuance of estimated billing also known as ‘crazy bills’ by DISCOs. 

When the Senate agrees with the proposed law and the President ascents to it, officials of DISCOs that issue estimated billings to their customers would either serve a one-year jail term or a fine of N1m or both.

According to Punch, the bill would also compel DISCOs to provide prepaid metres to applicants within 30 days and also bar the distribution companies from disconnecting consumers after 30-day period within which meter should be installed.

Gbajabiamila argued that the “billing is not known by any scientific rule.”

While leading the debate on the proposed law entitled, ‘A bill for an act to amend the electric power sector reforms Act to prohibit and criminalise estimated billing by electricity distribution companies and provide for compulsory installation of pre-paid meters to all power consumers in Nigeria and other related matters,’ the Speaker condemned the DISCOs for issuing estimated bills on a monthly basis, Punch reports.