Delta residents, hoteliers demand probe of BEDC over ‘exorbitant’ billing
Residents and business owners in Effurun and other parts of Uvwie Local Government Areaof Delta State have petitioned the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to investigate the Band A metering
Residents and business owners in Effurun and other parts of Uvwie Local Government Areaof Delta State have petitioned the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to investigate the Band A metering system operated by Benin Electricity Distribution Company in the area.
The residents decried the alleged "epileptic" power supply and exorbitant electricity billing, warning that several businesses in the commercial hub of the state may shut down if the situation continued.
They lamented that despite being metered and classified under the Band A power supply category, BEDC has failed to provide the minimum 20 hours daily electricity supply required by NERC.
Business owners, particularly along Refinery Stream One near NigerCat and adjoining streets in the Ekpan area, said they receive little or no electricity despite paying high tariffs.
According to a resident of NigerCat, Okugbe John, most homes do not get up to 10 hours of power supply daily, but are still subjected to heavy electricity bills monthly.
Speaking on behalf of hoteliers, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lascurt Hotel, Mr. Austin Wareyai, said BEDC’s persistent over-billing and poor electricity supply were strangulating businesses in Uvwie, especially in the commercial Refinery Stream 1 area.
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Wareyai specifically fingered the head of the Warri Regional Office of being behind the exorbitant billing,
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the Minister of Power, and NERC not to allow BEDC's "daylight robbery" to go unchecked, warning that the situation could drive many businesses out of operation.
In a petition dated February 6, 2026, Wareyai raised concerns over “persistent over-billing and meter over-reading” despite irregular electricity supply to the hotel located on the Refinery 1–33KVA feeder at Effurun.
He said, “Under the NERC Service-Based Tariff framework, customer billing must be directly tied to the actual quality and duration of electricity supply delivered.”
According to him, despite frequent outages and unstable supply, the bills issued by BEDC reflect energy consumption levels that do not match the service delivered.
Wareyai also questioned the accuracy of the hotel’s electricity meter, noting that it continued to record unusually high energy consumption despite the use of energy-efficient appliances.
“Our bills indicate consumption levels inconsistent with the quality and duration of electricity supply received.
“Our installed meter continues to record unusually high energy consumption despite the use of energy-efficient equipment.
“Power supply to our premises has been highly inconsistent and characterised by frequent interruptions,” he said.
The hotel also reported regular low voltage supply, which disrupts operations and threatens electrical equipment.
He argued that issuing high electricity bills under such conditions amounted to charging customers for electricity not effectively delivered.
The hotel, therefore, called on BEDC to conduct an immediate technical inspection and testing of its meter to confirm its accuracy.
It also requested a comprehensive audit of its billing and electricity supply history to determine whether billed energy corresponds with the actual hours and quality of supply delivered to the facility.
The management further demanded that any over-billed amounts discovered during the review should be corrected and adjusted accordingly.
It also urged the electricity distribution company to ensure that subsequent billing strictly reflects the actual electricity supplied and complies with NERC’s Service-Based Tariff guidelines.
While expressing hope that the issue would be resolved amicably, the hotel warned that failure to address the matter promptly may lead to further escalation through the dispute resolution mechanisms of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.
Efforts to speak with the BEDC Public Affairs Manager were unsuccessful, as of press time, as a designated phone number remained unreachable.
