The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has emphasized that the responsibility for replacing or repairing faulty electricity transformers lies solely with power distribution companies, not with customers.
Additionally, these companies are also mandated to provide meters to consumers.
According to Vanguard, NERC’s Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, Mrs. Aisha Mamoud, highlighted this during a three-day Problem-Solving session held from Thursday to Saturday, August 10, in Cross River.
The event, dubbed, ‘Customer Complaints Resolution Meeting’, was organized to address issues between customers and the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company.
Mamoud clarified that electricity bills paid by consumers are for services that should be delivered, and customers should not bear the cost of replacing or repairing transformers or cables.
She further noted that the meeting was convened in response to numerous customer complaints concerning metering, excessive billing, and transformer vandalism.
The purpose of the session was to educate and inform consumers about the electricity sector and their rights within it.
“In regards to our duties and responsibilities as a Regulatory body,, the consumer act says we should try to maximize access to electricity giving that all consumers in this country have access to electricity irrespective of where they live. It is their fundmental right to have access to electricity
“Another reason we are here is to resolve all your complaints . We have done it in several parts of the country and it was a very huge success. All your complaints will be solve on the spot.” She assured.
Mamoud emphasized that it is the duty of DisCos to supply meters to prevent estimated billing, with the federal government having signed an agreement with DisCos to ensure meter provision.
In response, the Head of Corporate Communication at PHED, Mrs. Olubukola Ilevbare, acknowledged the company’s struggles with addressing vandalism in the state.
She pointed out that many transformer issues result from criminal acts, with PHED frequently replacing transformers damaged by vandals.
“I now there are times that we don’t respond to our customers as we should, maybe as a result of demands; our goal is to do our best to ensure that whenever there are genuine complaints, we attend to them.
“On the issue of metres, it is the responsibility of DisCos to provide metres, but when a customer cannot wait for the DisCo to provide the mitre, which is done in phases, he can pay for his own metre and within 10 days, it will be installed,” she said
Ilevbare noted that while some transformers are indeed damaged and require PHED’s intervention, the company is committed to addressing these issues and meeting customer needs.
Meanwhile, House of Representatives member for Bakassi, Calabar South, and Akpabuyo, Mr. Joseph Bassey, criticized the problems of vandalism and excessive billing. He called for more accurate billing practices for consumers in the state.
“Today’s meeting is a welcome development for the people in Cross River, electricity issue if address, it will help reduce the level of hardship and this will boost the economy.
“PHED has failed in various ways , they only get money from consumers and refuse to do maintenance. The issue of grading, I don’t feel good about it, everybody has the right to electricity, so why create bands to categorize where a particular area belongs.”
