- Residents and business owners in Delta State protested poor electricity supply despite being placed under the Band A tariff category.
- The protesters petitioned the NERC to investigate BEDC over alleged overbilling and failure to meet the required power supply hours
Concerned residents and business owners in Uvwie Local Government Area staged a peaceful protest over poor electricity supply. The demonstration took place in Effurun and nearby communities.
The protesters demanded improved service from BEDC Electricity Plc. They also submitted a petition to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission requesting an investigation into the Band A metering system used by the company.
Residents criticised what they described as unstable electricity supply and excessive billing. Many protesters operate businesses along Refinery Stream One near the NigerCat facility and surrounding streets in the Ekpan area.
They said the utility classified them under the Band A category and installed meters at their premises. However, they argued that the electricity supplied falls far below the level required under the tariff structure.
Under the Band A framework introduced by NERC, customers should receive at least 20 hours of electricity daily. However, residents said they rarely receive up to 10 hours of supply despite paying higher tariffs. Business owners argued that the power supply does not match the bills issued by the distribution company. They warned that continued overbilling and poor service could force many businesses to close.
The protesters also noted that the commercial district hosts major facilities, including the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company.
In a petition filed for concerned hoteliers, Austin Wareyai, Managing Director of Lascurt Hotel, accused BEDC of persistent overbilling and weak service delivery.
Wareyai said the situation has become unbearable for businesses in the area. According to him, the electricity challenges are severely affecting commercial activities in the Refinery Stream One district.
The petition, dated February 6, 2026, highlighted concerns about overbilling and suspected meter over-reading. The petitioners said the billing pattern contradicts the Service-Based Tariff framework established by NERC. The framework requires distribution companies to bill customers according to the quality and duration of electricity supply.
The petitioners cited several cases where electricity bills from the Refinery 1–33KVA feeder did not reflect the actual supply received. They also questioned the accuracy of the installed meters. Therefore, they requested an urgent inspection under the NERC Metering Code.
The residents appealed to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu and Sheriff Oborevwori to intervene. The petitioners also alleged that the head of BEDC’s Warri regional office contributed to the billing issues. Consequently, they called on regulators to conduct a full investigation.
Another hotelier, Moses Okpobeku, said the rising cost of electricity has become unsustainable for businesses.
He noted that the bills issued by BEDC do not match the unstable electricity supply experienced by customers.
The petitioners expressed hope that authorities will resolve the issue quickly. However, they warned that they may pursue formal dispute resolution through NERC if the situation remains unresolved.