EDITORIAL: First Power Must Stop Energy Theft, Not Punish Innocent Consumers

First Power Nigeria in Anambra State must urgently confront the growing problem of electricity theft, particularly the alleged bypassing of prepaid meters, instead of allowing innocent consumers to bear the financial consequences of fraudulent electricity consumption by others.

It is both unfair and unacceptable for residents who dutifully pay for the electricity they consume to be subjected to mounting bills, accumulated debts and possible disconnection because other customers allegedly obtain electricity illegally without paying for it.

 The company must explain why ordinary consumers should continue to shoulder a burden that should be addressed through effective monitoring, enforcement and modern technology.

The central question is this: Why should a consumer who pays for every unit of electricity consumed be made to subsidise another person’s illegal consumption?

This is the troubling situation confronting some electricity consumers in Anambra State, particularly low-income earners living in one-room apartments and densely populated compounds where electricity bills may be shared among several occupants.

Where some residents allegedly bypass their meters and consume electricity without proper billing, the financial consequences can fall disproportionately on their neighbours.

 Those who play by the rules may end up paying more, accumulating debts or facing disconnection, even when they have not personally engaged in any wrongdoing.

This situation calls for urgent investigation and decisive intervention by First Power.

The company cannot afford to look away.

As an electricity distribution company operating with technical expertise, customer records and metering infrastructure, First Power should be equipped to identify suspicious consumption patterns, investigate meter bypasses and take appropriate action against offenders.

Modern electricity distribution systems offer tools for detecting irregular consumption, monitoring network losses and identifying discrepancies between electricity supplied and electricity billed.

 First Power should explain what measures it has deployed in Anambra State to detect and prevent energy theft and whether those measures are being effectively implemented.

For instance, a property or customer whose electricity consumption suddenly drops significantly despite no apparent change in occupancy or usage may warrant a technical assessment.

 Such a change does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing, but it can provide a basis for investigation when considered alongside other relevant evidence.

The company should also investigate discrepancies between electricity supplied to a distribution area and the quantities recorded through customer meters.

 Where evidence of illegal connections or meter bypasses emerges, the appropriate enforcement procedures should follow.

First Power must not wait for residents to identify offenders and present them to its officials before taking action.

 Consumers can provide useful information, but the responsibility for protecting electricity infrastructure, detecting illegal connections and enforcing applicable regulations rests substantially with the relevant utility and regulatory authorities.

If a distribution company can bill customers, monitor payments and disconnect accounts over unpaid bills, it should equally demonstrate a clear commitment to detecting and addressing electricity theft.

The most disturbing aspect of this problem is its human cost.

For many low-income households, electricity bills already consume a significant portion of their limited income. 

A family occupying a single room should not have to struggle under an unreasonable financial burden because other occupants of other compounds allegedly manipulate their meters or connect to electricity illegally.

Reports of shared-compound electricity debts running into hundreds of thousands of naira and, in some cases, millions of naira demand careful investigation. 

Where debts of up to ₦5 million are alleged, First Power should provide a transparent account of how such liabilities arise, how they are allocated among customers and what steps are available to innocent occupants who dispute responsibility.

The company must distinguish between customers who have genuinely incurred unpaid bills, those whose bills are based on verified consumption, and those who may have been unfairly charged because of suspected electricity theft by other occupants.

A blanket approach that leaves every resident in a compound exposed to the debts or misconduct of others is not a satisfactory solution. 

Each disputed case deserves a fair assessment based on meter records, billing arrangements, applicable regulations and evidence of actual responsibility.

Collecting legitimate revenue is necessary, but making innocent consumers pay for another person’s alleged offence is not a just way to achieve it.

A troubling lesson from the past

Some years ago, a reporter with Insideoutnewsng contacted a staff member of the then Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to raise concerns about electricity customers allegedly bypassing their meters.

According to the reporter’s account, the staff member challenged him to identify the suspected offenders and bring them forward.

That response, if accurately recalled, raises a fundamental question about the effectiveness of relying on members of the public to identify electricity thieves instead of deploying systematic monitoring and technical investigations.

While members of the public can assist by reporting suspicious activities, they should not be expected to perform the core enforcement duties of an electricity distribution company. 

Nor should they be encouraged to confront suspected offenders themselves, given the potential security risks.

The lesson is clear: electricity theft requires a structured, technology-driven response, not an approach that places the burden of detection on already struggling consumers.

First Power must demonstrate that it is taking this responsibility seriously.

We believe it is time for First Power to intensify its campaign against electricity theft and meter bypassing in Anambra State.

The company should conduct targeted technical audits in areas where consumption patterns, network losses or credible complaints indicate possible illegal connections.

 It should deploy appropriate metering and monitoring technology, strengthen inspections and ensure that suspected cases are investigated professionally.

It should also establish an accessible complaint channel through which customers can report suspected bypasses, challenge questionable bills and seek a review of debts they believe were wrongly attributed to them.

Where electricity theft is established, offenders should face the sanctions prescribed by applicable laws and regulations.

 Enforcement must be evidence-based, transparent and consistent, regardless of the social standing or financial influence of the person involved.

At the same time, First Power should publish clear procedures for resolving shared-meter disputes, reviewing accumulated compound debts and protecting customers who can demonstrate that they did not incur the charges being imposed on them.

The Anambra State Government and the relevant electricity regulatory authorities should also take an interest in the matter, particularly where consumers raise credible complaints about unfair billing, shared liabilities or disconnections arising from disputed debts.

Stop punishing the wrong people

One of the most frustrating consequences of unresolved electricity billing disputes is the disconnection of entire households or compounds because of accumulated debts.

 Where such debts are linked to suspected meter bypassing or disputed shared bills, the affected consumers deserve a prompt and impartial investigation.

First Power must not allow legitimate bill-paying customers to become collateral victims of its failure, if any, to detect and address illegal electricity consumption.

The company should review cases in which residents claim to have been saddled with debts they did not incur, identify the actual sources of the liabilities and apply the appropriate billing and enforcement rules. 

No customer should be exempt from a legitimate bill, but neither should an innocent consumer be made responsible for another person’s proven or alleged misconduct without a proper basis.

The ultimate objective must be to ensure that every customer pays fairly for the electricity consumed, that electricity theft is detected and penalised, and that the cost of enforcing the law does not fall disproportionately on those least able to afford it.

We in the Insideoutnewsng therefore calls on First Power Nigeria in Anambra State to move beyond routine billing and disconnection exercises and demonstrate a sustained commitment to tackling electricity theft.

We demand effective monitoring of prepaid meters and distribution infrastructure, prompt investigation of suspected bypasses, transparent billing practices, fair resolution of shared-compound debts and decisive action against anyone found to be stealing electricity.

We also urge the relevant regulatory authorities to investigate credible complaints of unfair billing and ensure that consumers have access to effective remedies when they are wrongly charged.

Electricity theft is not a victimless offence. It undermines revenue collection, compromises the integrity of the distribution network and can impose unfair costs on law-abiding consumers. But the answer is not to make the innocent pay for the guilty.

First Power must protect its infrastructure, safeguard its revenue and uphold the rights of its customers.

 It must demonstrate that those who pay for electricity are not being abandoned to carry the financial burden of those who allegedly steal it.

The time has come for First Power to act decisively against energy theft and meter bypassing in Anambra State. Stop the theft, investigate the debts and protect innocent consumers. The poor must not continue to pay for electricity they did not consume.