Many electricity consumers in the Federal Capital Territory on Band A have appealed to the Federal Government to review downward the high tariff amid the economic hardship.

Band A customers are those who enjoy at least 20 hours of electricity daily and are expected to pay N209.5/kilowatts per hour (KWh).

The consumers who live at Lugbe, Area 10, Apo resettlement area and environs spoke in Abuja on Sunday.

They said that Band A was okay because they enjoy constant power supply, adding that the tariff was too high and they could not sustain it with the present situation in the country.

A civil servant residing in Lugbe, Amen Odigie, said she pays much to enjoy power supply., noting that it was okay.

Mrs Odigie said that what she paid for electricity in the two bedroom flat she occupied was more than N30,000 in a month.

“This is really telling on me as what I earn as salary cannot go anywhere with the present economic hardship in the country. I want to appeal to the government to review the high electricity tariff as this Band A is taking most of my income,” she said.

Ugochukwu Okafor also residing in Lugbe said that the electricity tariff for Band A customers was too high.

Mr Okafor, a vulcaniser said that his income in a month could not pay for Band A tariff.

According to him, he wants the Federal Government to do something about the Band A tariff as it is too high considering the present hardship in the country.

A cloth designer residing in Apo resettlement, Anita Adaje, said that she used electricity a lot to run her business and with Band A tariff, she was not making any profit.

She said, “When you bill customers so high, they will refuse to pay and this is really affecting my business. My appeal is that the government should look into this high tariff and do something about it.’’.

A printer in Area 10, Festus Ogunbor, said that he recharged more than N30,000 daily to run his printing machines.

Mr Ogunbor said that the high cost of electricity was affecting his business as he could no longer do many jobs.

He said, ”How much do I make that I have to be paying so much for electricity, please l want government to look into this high tariff as it is seriously affecting businesses and cost of living.’’

Another printer in Area 10, Chidi Okeke, said that he had been finding it difficult to power his printing machines because of the high electricity tariff.

Mr Okeke said that the government should look for a way to reduce the high cost of electricity to boost businesses and encourage more Nigerians to go into business.

(NAN)