Kaduna Electric has been criticized by residents of Millennium City in Kaduna for alleged forced metering and arbitrary migration to Band A tariff.
The electricity distribution company was also accused of failing to meet the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) 20-hour daily electricity supply benchmark for Mashi Road and Steven Shekari Estate after transferring them to Band A tariff.
Millennium City Ministerial Pilot Development Community Association president Yusuf M. Suraj said the company pulled the plug on the development after residents rejected the new meters.
“They disconnected us because we rejected their meters. There is nothing wrong with the ones we are using,” Suraj said.
“There was no prior notice. Band A is intended for industrial areas, but our community is residential – mortgage-financed housing, small business owners and farmers. We told them we can’t afford Band A, we can manage Band B, but they insisted.”
He said the community officially wrote to Kaduna Electric and also reported the matter to NERC, which advised both parties to reach an understanding.
“We told them clearly that we do not want Band A. We are not factories. They cannot impose this on us,” he added.
Similarly, residents of Mashi Road and Steven Shekari Estate said they were moved to Band A without notice, despite receiving less than 20 hours of electricity a day.
One resident, Usman Rabiu, said: “Our products spoil in the refrigerators. They said we are in Band A, but we barely get 15 hours of light on a good day. Sometimes we go for days without electricity. They bring on light at midnight, when no one can use it, and once it gets light, they cut it off. It’s frustrating.”
Responding, the Deputy Managing Director of Kaduna Electric, Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed, said the company’s actions were in line with regulatory directives.
“We have made several commitments to the residents of Millennium City,” he said.
“Per NERC directive, no less than 40 percent of the power we receive must go to Band A feeders. This is not an option for customers. Band classification is based on feeder performance, not personal preference.”
Mohammed said the new smart meters being rolled out are part of a metering program supported by the World Bank and approved by NERC.
“Customers do not have the right to choose their band,” he said. “Metering is free and the new devices are designed to prevent tampering and improve accountability. When we encounter bypasses or energy theft, we have a duty to protect the system.”
But residents insist that Kaduna Electric’s decision to impose Band A tariffs in purely residential neighbourhoods, without providing 20 hours of supply, contradicts the same NERC regulation that the company cites to justify the upgrade.
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