In response to what they called a "unjustifiable increase" in energy rates from the Enugu energy Distribution Company (EEDC), residents of Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, peacefully protested Tuesday.  

In an attempt to get the state government to step in, the demonstrators, who had gathered from all over the city, marched to the EEDC office on Bende Road and then to the front gate of the Government House, Umuahia.  

Some of the demonstrators carried posters with slogans such as “?50,000 electricity bill per month is too much,” “Electricity bill now higher than rent,” “Governor Otti should intervene,” and “Give us prepaid meters, not estimated bills.”

Between August and September 2025, they claimed that the monthly electricity costs for some residential apartments increased from roughly ?7,000 to as much as ?50,000 to ?80,000.

One of the protesters, a civil servant who preferred anonymity, said: “If I spend ?50,000 from my ?75,000 monthly salary on electricity alone, how can I cope for the rest of the month?”

In a petition presented through their lawyer, Mr. Kekechi Uwaezuoke of Chimdiebube Chambers, the protesters demanded the business to evaluate the current billing and revert to prior prices, saying that majority of the impacted consumers are low-income earners and civil workers.  

Responding to the concerns, the EEDC Head of Commercial for Abia State, Mr. Festus Iwuala, said that the tariff change followed the reclassification of the power feeder feeding the affected districts from Bands B and C to Band A.

He said, “The feeder was upgraded to Band A on September 1, 2025, after meeting the requirements set by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). EEDC followed due process and obtained NERC’s approval before implementing the new tariff.”

To guarantee correct billing, Iwuala suggested that consumers apply for prepaid meters via the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) program or the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).  Additionally, he promised that grievances will be examined and suitably resolved.

Source