Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has urged its unmetered customers to register for prepaid meters to eliminate estimated billing.

Rekhiat Momoh, the acting chief executive officer of EKEDC, made this appeal during a customers’ engagement forum in ljora Business Unit on Thursday in Lagos.

Customers at the forum were drawn from various areas under the Ijora District.

The areas includes; Otto, Iganmu, Ijora, Alaka, Iponri, Ebute Metta, Adekunle, Iwaya, Otto, Onike, Surulere, Yaba and Ajegunle.

Ms Momoh, who was represented by general manager, commercial, EKEDC, Samuel Edoho, said that the essence of the meeting was to collaborate with customers.

She reiterated that the DisCo was committed to active efforts to safeguard lives, properties and equipment.

Ms Momoh said that the town hall meeting also created an avenue to interface with customers and address issues confronting various communities under EKEDC’s network.

She said that the EKEDC management’s continued stakeholder engagement had yielded good results on the spot feedback.

She said that the engagement had also fast-tracked the review for possible solution challenges in the areas of power supply, vandalism and other factors mitigating service delivery to customers.

The EKEDC boss said that the company had put enough plans in place, aimed toward bridging the metering gap within its network by providing smart meters to all electricity consumers.

According to her, the DisCo is working towards clearing all backlogs of unmetered customers while payments paid to purchase the meter will be refunded through tokens.

“Customers who are yet to register are advised to visit EKEDC’s official website and fill out the application form to benefit from the ongoing massive metering.

“We have given matching orders to all meter vendors to install all backlogs with immediate effect to enable all customers to have access to prepaid meters,” she said.

On meter installer extortion, Ms Momoh warned electricity consumers to desist from paying meter installers before their meters are installed.

She said that the majority of meter vendors and installers had been sanctioned for requesting additional fees on meter installation.

“Meter installers are not meant to request a dime from customers for meter installation.

“No installers should be given additional fees on installation. It’s not in the meter arrangements,” she added.

Ms Momoh said that the company would soon begin a special metering arrangement under the Presidential Metering Initiative, in which Band A customers would be the first beneficiaries before other bands.

On service delivery, Ms Momoh said that the company was passionate about listening to customers’ complaints and challenges with a bid to proffer speedy resolutions.

She said that her team often addressed the issues raised by customers and promised to get them resolved and subsequently improve DisCo’s customer satisfaction index.

She assured the customers that the company had already embarked on many projects to improve power supply and prompt resolutions to complaints, and specifically encouraged them to embrace the metering scheme to put the issue of estimated billing to rest.

She advised customers against patronising unauthorised entities to get meters and report any case of unscrupulous elements to the company’s whistleblowing channels.

Babatunde Lasaki, general manager, corporate communications, equally reiterated that customers should desist from illegal activities such as meter bypass, meter tampering, vandalism, and assault of staff, which affect not only the DisCo but the entire power industry.

According to him, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has approved penalties for these criminal offences and EKEDC will ensure that offenders face the wrath of the law for any of these crimes.

‘‘Every customer has a responsibility to protect the industry,” he added.

Adeleye Abolade, chairman, Ijora Customers Forum, urged customers to take responsibility for the transformers and ensure all EKEDC’s properties are well protected.

Mr Abolade tasked community leaders to ensure energy thefts and vandalism in their communities were brought to books.

He, however, appealed to the management of Eko DisCo to improve their feedback mechanism and time on resolutions.

According to him, the DisCo should be commended for improved service delivery but should also ensure effective metering and replacement of damaged equipment. 

(NAN)