EKEDC reiterates commitment to improved metering services
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has reiterated its commitment to provide massive metering services to its customers following the deregulation of electricity meter prices under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme.
The Acting Chief Executive Officer of EKEDC, Mrs Rekhiat Momoh, gave the assurance during the company’s Customers Engagement Forum with Mushin business unit customers on Thursday in Lagos.
The Business Intelligence (TBI Africa) reports that Mushin Business Unit comprises of Papa Ajao, Mushin, Idi Araba, Ilasamaja, Lawanson, Ijesha, Itire and Ishaga.
Momoh, who was represented by Mr Samuel Edoho, the General Manager of Commercial (Revenue Cycle) at EKEDC, highlighted that the initiative of the prepaid metre scheme aimed at streamlining the procurement and distribution process, thereby enhancing efficiency and reliability.
She emphasised EKEDC’s commitment to facilitating a seamless experience for customers seeking prepaid metres, following the deregulation of MAP smart metering prices by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Momoh stressed the importance of new and existing MAP vendors, maintaining a substantial inventory of prepaid metres, subject to physical verification by EKEDC, before accepting payments from customers.
The priority for EKEDC, Momoh emphasised is the accelerated installation of prepaid metres for customers, who have made payments but are yet to be metered.
She elaborated on NERC’s deregulation of smart metre prices under the MAP scheme, effective May 1, enabling customers to procure metres from vendors of their choice at competitive market prices determined through transparent bidding frameworks.
The EKEDC’s boss appreciated the customers and assured them that they would continue to strive to make sure that communities under their purview has power supply whenever power was available in the grid.
“The essence of this gathering is to get feedback from you that will enable us continuously improve services we render to you as our valid customers.
“As a mean to ensure that we constantly improve our services, we have carried out major rehabilitation of structures within Mushin environment to make sure that you have constant power supply,”she said.
The company addressed issues bordering on prepaid meters, faulty transformers, bad feeders, pole replacement, among others.
She promised to address some of the issues identified on the spot within the shortest period of time.
The EKEDC’s boss assured that prepaid meters would be made available to those that had paid and were awaiting meters.
“Metering is the solution to dispute, in as much as there is no meter, we will continue to have dispute, but when there is meter, there will be an end to dispute.
“It is not your responsibility to repair any equipment when there is a break down, your responsibility is to meet up with your obligation of paying your bills.
“If bills are not paid, there will be consequences and this will lead us not being able to meet up with our side of providing light effectively,”she said.
Momoh identified huge debt profile on transformer, as one of the reasons faulty ones have not been repaired or changed in some areas.
“The huge debt discovered in such community does not encourage such transformers to be quickly attended to for repairs,”she added.
Momoh advised customers not to incite communities against the company, because whatever money realised does not come to them as a distribution company, but went to the electricity market.
“We are only given a part of it to enable us meet up with our operational expenses.
“When you people discourage others not to pay, it means you don’t want the electricity industry to exist,”she said.
She said there was a presidential metering initiativestill in the pipeline meant to deliver metering to bridge the gap.
“However, this has not started yet and people that cannot wait for that initiative can key into the present map scheme so that they will be metered.
“We know that many people have paid and yet to be metered, I want to urge such customers to provide their details to enable us attend to them immediately,”she said.
She said that the company was ready to partner with their customers and cooperate with them in order to solve the problems affecting the distribution of electricity in their areas.
“All we require is that you give us the benefit of doubt and the opportunity to do so.
“There is light at the end of the tunnel and together Nigeria will be better for all of us.
“Let us cooperate together and give the government a chance to deliver the hope that they promised Nigerians for a better future,” she said.
Mr Kadiri Rasheed, a community leader urged the company to improve on electricity supply, while appealing to EKEDC to fast track installation of prepaid metres.
Mr Micheal Fawole, a customer at Iyanuolapo Command Development Council, urged the DisCo to address underground cables to avoid supply going off always especially during the rainy seasons.
Fawole said that their area was prone to flooding and suggested that the cables should be rerouted overhead so as to permanently solve this problem.
Also, Mrs Bola Ijaiya from Lawanson, complained about Ishaga feeder, urging the company to do something to make their feeder better so that the community could have better supply of light.
Mr Oluwaseun Ogunsola, Manager, Cityway Shopping Complex, Yaba, urged the company to address the issue of estimated billing, while urging EKEDC to find lasting solution to the bill to avoid companies shutting down.
“We used to pay N400,000 per month, but suddenly, they brought a bill or N1,849,000 last month for us. How do they expect us to continue to operate with such outrageous bill.
“They should please look into this for us because a lot of companies will shut down and workers will be laid off,”Ogunsola said.
The Chairman, Mushin CDC, Mr Femi Okunyemi, appelead to the Management of EKEDC to attend to customers complaints to enable them enjoy a good relationship.
Okunyemi commended the efforts of the company so far in ensuring that the communities under their area of responsibility was provided with light, but said that they could still do better.
