Electricity theft threatens to disrupt power supply to 1004

The 1004 Estate Homeowners and Resident’s Association (HORA), has decried the high levels of electricity theft by some of its members. A situation which they say has made it unable to pay their power bills. In a letter, dated 26th January 2023, to the Homeowners and Residents, titled, ‘Unsustainable Power Theft Situation in The Estate’, the 1004 Homeowners and Residents Association’s Legal/Admin Officer, Ifeoma Ogbodo said, “We are forced to once again draw attention to the alarming level of power theft in the Estate. The revenue from power is increasingly unable to cover power expenditure (EKEDC tariff and diesel costs). “We are in a situation where we can barely generate 50% revenue to cover our consumption. EKEDC increased tariff by December 2022, diesel is still hovering around N800/ltr. With the level of power theft going on in the Estate, we can no longer pay EKEDC and diesel suppliers. “EKEDC has recently served us notice of disconnection due to outstanding indebtedness. This situation is unsustainable and cannot be allowed to persist if we are to maintain our current power supply services. If expenditure continues to outstrip revenue, that is, getting less for power consumed, it will eventually push the Estate into darkness.”

The Association suspects some flats numbering over 110 (in Block B -65 flats; and Block D -54 flats) to have tampered with their meters . According to them, “To avoid this unsavory outcome, (of being in darkness) we will, pending when we carry out the meter relocation project, watch list any flat with a power vending history of less than N35,000 per month, in this era of N200/KWH. The list of these apartments are published alongside this notice and they’ll be on the suspected power bypass/theft list until they show justifiable cause to be delisted from the list. “We solicit the cooperation of all residents to ensure that a few people do not plunge the whole estate into darkness with their nefarious activity. Any apartment on bypass or any HORA staff aiding such should be reported using the email info@1004hora.org or iogbodo@1004hora.org.”