THE Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC, has started deploying and installing smart meters to her residential customers in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers States. The Disco said it has metered all Maximum Demand customers prior to NERC’s directive and has now undertaken the giant step in doing same for residential customers.

Flagging off the first phase of the metering installation in Rumuomasi, Port Harcourt, Kingsley Achife, chief operating officer, PHEDC, said the company would not rest on its oars until all customers are metered. Achife reiterated the company’s commitment in metering every customer in her network, noting that over 150,000 meters would have been deployed and installed before the end of this year.

He assured that all commercial related complaints would be resolved during the metering period, as the company’s reconciliation team would be on ground at each transformer location to resolve all issues on the spot. “PHED has taken delivery of 50,000 single phase meters and in few days’ time, another 50,000 meters will arrive and before the end of the year, we would have a total of about 150,000 meters. We urge you to be patient as effort is being made to meter every customer.”

Achife who was represented by the Chief financial Officer, Mr. Jean Pierre Breton, however, frowned on the activities of those who indulge in meter by-pass, culminating in energy theft, endangering of lives and fire outbreak, a situation he described as unacceptable and financial sabotage. He told the gathering that anybody caught tampering with the newly installed pre-paid meters shall face the full wrath of the law.

Aug 11, 2017 @ 1:00 GMT