Residents of Takur in the Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa have expressed concern over the rising cost of electricity following the installation of prepaid meters in their homes.

Some residents said on Friday that the development had increased their monthly expenses and affected their livelihoods.

One resident, Zuwaira Ibrahim, a widow, said her electricity expenses had risen significantly since the prepaid meter was installed.

“Before the meter was installed, I used to pay about N10,000 monthly. Now, I spend up to N70,000 on electricity units,” she decried.

According to her, the situation has placed an additional financial burden on her household, forcing them to limit electricity use.

Similarly, Musa Shu’aibu said he had drastically reduced his electricity consumption because he could no longer afford to buy units regularly.

“I don’t have electricity in my house now because I cannot afford to buy units,” he said.

Also, Muhammad Magaji, a laundry attendant, said the meters and the hike in electricity costs had forced him to adjust his service charges.

He said the cost of washing a set of clothes had increased from N300 to N400.

“We have to increase our charges because electricity is essential to our business, and the cost of purchasing units has gone up,” he said.

The residents appealed to electricity distribution companies to review the tariff regime and introduce measures to cushion the effects of rising energy costs on consumers.

They noted that while prepaid meters promote transparency in billing, many low-income households were struggling to cope with the increasing cost of power supply. 

(NAN)