Let us have another look at those electricity bills, issued as they are six times a year, each covering a two-month period.

As many now know, the billing system adopted by ARMS over the past five years has a vile catch that was not there before 2013. Pre-2013, the eco-reduction was calculated on the basis of one year, intended to try to even out the fluctuation consumption over different periods of the year.

Let us take an example where a household had a quota of 3,600 units yearly for it to benefit from such reduction. Pre-2013, it was irrelevant what the household consumed during different periods of the year for what was considered was whether the consumption for the whole year exceeded the 3,600 units quote. If, for the whole year, a household did not exceed its quota, irrespective of whether it did exceed its quota pro rata when a bill was issued, it was entitled to its full eco-reduction.

According to the current system, where each of the six bills covers two months, the quota for the household would be calculated for each of the two-month period –one-sixth of 3,600 units, that is, 600 units. If in any of the two-month periods the household’s consumption is 500 units, or 100 units below its quota, those 100 units are lost and not carried over for the remaining part of the year. This loss means that for that whole year the household will not benefit from the full reduction in its bill as it would have benefited pre-2013.

But the vilest catch of all is this: since six bills are issued yearly, the consumer risks losing out on eco-reduction six times.

It would not come as a surprise for ARMS to take this hoax one step further and issue bills on a monthly basis, again duping the thousands, who have been believing that electricity bills have been slashed over the past five years, into believing their consumption has become cheaper. With 12 bills a year, the consumer risks being gypped 12 times.

With the duped showering more eye-watering praise on the government’s utility arm for receiving next-to-nothing bills when compared with the six-monthly bills it received pre-2013, ARMS, gloating at the prospect, would then start issuing bills every seven days.

Fifty-two such bills in the year.

With further ear-shattering, eye-watering applause from the duped.