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THE Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, has unveiled plans to install 39,000 meters in the first half of 2017 in compliance with the directive of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, to distribution companies on massive metering of customers. This initiative stemmed from the conclusion of the company’s first quarter customer fora across its coverage states of Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states with a pledge by the management on improved service delivery.

The roll-out plan announced to customers at each of the customer forum location in Benin, Warri, Akure and Ado-Ekiti, according to a statement from BEDC, is to be given to customers across the BEDC franchise areas, with a view to ensuring that power generated and distributed to customers were utilised in a most efficient manner and to avert illegal consumption of electricity so that it will be made available to paying customers.

Meshaic Okhumeode, head of metering, BEDC, said the meter installation will be preceded by enumeration of customers on feeders servicing the earmarked locations to reduce power theft through bypass and illegal connections, adding that the meters will be mounted on the pole as against the practice of mounting it on residential premises, saying this will engender collective monitoring by residents within a neighbourhood and the service provider.

He also affirmed BEDC’s readiness to ensure total metering of its customers within the next five years, urging customers to be patient until the metering reaches them, as the metering will be done in batches.

In his opening remarks at the fora, Abel Enechaizam, head, key clients services group, BEDC, said the fora was designed to dialogue with BEDC customers on ways to serve them better, adding that issues bordering on operations and services and the customers’ expectations were being resolved.

Enechaizam told customers that there were five major stakeholders in power sector business namely; gas suppliers, generation companies, Gencos, transmission, distribution companies, Discos, and consumers, stressing, however, that the customers were very key to the substance of the chain.

He explained that on the part of BEDC, some critical issues were equally affecting its ability to give customers the expected service delivery. They include non-payment of bills, low power generation, high energy theft, illegal connections and funding constraints occasioned by Capital Expenditure, CAPEX, limit and foreign exchange factor.

—  Mar 13, 2017 @ 01:00 GMT

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