Before Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) moved Tom Peter (real name withheld), a resident of Alakuko, Lagos, to maximum demand tariff without warning in September, his monthly bill was barely N10,000.By the time he received his electricity bill for that month, the fee had jumped to N82,179. And rather than go down, the amount kept increasing.His bill for October was N129,507 and N206,685 in November.“I only noticed I had been moved to maximum demand tariff when I received the bill for the month of September only to be chocked by an exorbitant bill,” Peter told FIJ.“I am not the only one affected in the area. I know of one other person and someone told me there are other people in the street with the same problem,” he added.January to March 2024 bills.April to June 2024 bills.July to September 2024 bills.October to November 2024 bills.READ ALSO: Ikeja Electric Punishes 400 Customers with Darkness for Protesting against Outrageous Billing“Ever since, I have complained to their marketer. At one time, I went to see their boss in the office at Fola-Azeez Street, Alakuko only to be intimidated and snubbed,” Peter told FIJ.“The man told me there was nothing they could do about it and that I should go and pay the money.”The Lagos resident said he also went to the IKEDC office in Jankara, Ijaiye, to request the suspension of service until the problem was resolved and to complain about the tariff he was moved to without notice.Peter explained, “I requested it should be reversed and my billings be reviewed to reflect actual usage. I have a postpaid meter they usually read, but they have refused to take the readings on it ever since.”Besides visiting the electricity distribution company’s offices on several occasions, Peter has sent an email and also submitted a letter.Despite all of these, the problem has not been addressed, and he is expected to pay over N400,000 for electricity bills for a couple of months.The Lagos resident’s letter to IKEDC on November 4 and acknowledged by IKEDC.The Lagos resident’s email to IKEDC on November 5.IKEDC’s response to the Lagos resident’s email on November 6.READ ALSO: Lagos Resident Wants IKEDC to Write Off Outrageous N304,876 Bill Imposed on Him Before Handing Him Prepaid MeterFIJ learnt that before he visited IKEDC’s Jankara office again on December 30, Peter found out that at least five other residents were in the same electricity quagmire.“There were six of us. Another person and I volunteered to go to Jankara on behalf of everyone. They just filled out the complaints as usual and asked us to come back on Friday [January 3] to check the status,” Peter said.“We were issued SR numbers.”Peter told FIJ that upon their return to the IKEDC office on Friday, a customer representative told them that their inquiry had been closed already.According to the IKEDC customer, the customer representative further told them to get a maximum-demand prepaid meter.“That is the type of meter that is being used in factories,” he said.“We then went to their office at Fola-Azeez, Alakuko, which is closer to us. There, we learnt that it was IKEDC’s decision to put us on Maximum Demand. They did the same to many customers, and they have refused to resolve the problem.READ ALSO: IKEDC Asks Customer to Pay Strange N335,981 Debt After Mismatching His Details“There was a time one of their staff said they put people on Maximum Demand to force them to get prepaid meters. Apparently, most of these customers placed on Maximum Demand had postpaid meters.“Out of the six of us that went to complain, five are postpaid meter customers.”The customer, frustrated by the exorbitant bill which he described as choking, feels IKEDC has chosen to punish him unjustly in this manner.“I have an aged mother whose well-being depends on it [electricity]. I don’t usually owe them anything. I am a good customer only for them to punish me unjustly. Please, save me from this injustice,” he said.FIJ sent an email to IKEDC on December 27. A message was also sent to the electricity distribution company via its official page on X on that day.No response has been received from both platforms at press time.The post IKEDC Moves Customer to Maximum Demand Tariff — N10,000 to N206,685 — Without Notice or Consent appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.