Minister for Fisheries Alitia Bainivalu has called on Energy Fiji Limited to urgently investigate growing complaints from villagers across the country over high electricity bills and alleged estimated meter readings.
In a social media post, Bainivalu said she had received increasing concerns from families in rural communities over the past few weeks regarding electricity charges they believed did not reflect their actual usage.
The Minister said many villagers had raised concerns that electricity meters were not being physically read regularly and that bills appeared to be based on estimates instead.
“At a time when the cost of living continues to place pressure on ordinary families, our people deserve fairness, transparency, and accountability,” Bainivalu said.
“It is unacceptable for hardworking families, senior citizens, and struggling households to be burdened with bills they believe do not reflect their actual electricity usage.”
She said electricity was an essential service relied on daily by households and acknowledged the frustrations being experienced by affected customers.
Bainivalu called on EFL to immediately strengthen its meter reading processes and ensure customers were billed accurately and fairly.
“Our people must have confidence that they are only paying for what they truly use,” she said.
The Minister also encouraged members of the public facing similar issues to continue raising their concerns through the proper channels so the matters could be properly addressed.
Bainivalu said she would continue advocating for fairness, accountability and improved service delivery for Fijians.
