EEDC seeks consumers’ support for tariff​ increment

ONITSHA, Nigeria – Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has urged its costumers to understand challenges it faces​ in providing quality service to them. The appeal was made by the deputy​ director of EEDC​ Paul Okeke​ during a stakeholders consultation for extraordinary Tariff review held in Awka Anambra state capital on Monday.

He said the company has been facing many challenges since inception, ranging from poor quality supply of​ energy from transmission, energy theft by consumers, saying that despite​ these they have been able to serve the public better.

According to him, people blame EEDC for​ poor service delivery, without​ considering that​ ​ other companies are​ before them in the chain of distribution.

“We have Generation, Transmission before the Distribution. Everybody looks up to the distribution as the problem in the sector. We have four transmission stations in Anambra state and which are not enough to serve the state. People put the blame on us because we are​ more close to the people than others” he said .

He called​ on the customers to understand their​ plights and support the EEDC Tariff increment to serve them better. According to him, there is supposed to be a major​ tariff​ review​ every five years and minor review every six months, but that EEDC has refused to do so because of government stand.

Okeke said EEDC is​ in serious need of money to put things in order to render qaulity service to the south east people.

In his remarks, Principal Maneger of​ Nigerian Electric Regulation Commision (NERC), Emeka Onyegbule said​ the purpose of the stakeholders meeting was to create a medium where the consumers and EEDC will present their cases for effective resolution.

According to him, the major roles of the commision was to protect the consumers from expilotation. He called on those with unresolved case​s with the EEDC to forward them immediately to the commission for prompt action and resolution.

One of the consumers, Chuks Agu said that they are not expecting any increase in tariff untill the service is improved considerably. According to him, if there must be any increment, it has to be in proportion to the improvement in quality services.

Also another consumers who spoke at the forum said​ that EEDC has collected their old metres and refused to give them prepaid onces and subjected them to horrible estimate billing system,which he described as “estimate stealing”
He said he is speaking for​ Omoba phase 11​ ​ in Onitsha, adding that early this year EEDC took their metres even when they have admitted that they did​ it in error.

However, Onyegbule ordered the EEDC to replace​ metres collected , saying that since metres were originally purchased by the consumers, EEDC suppose not to have taken them without replacment.