Electricity Bill: EEDC Decries Customers’ Default

Authorities of Enugu
Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), have lamented over the reluctance of electricity consumers within the area to pay for their consumption.
The EEDC Managing Director, Mr Robert Dickerman who expressed the concern at the company’s Consumer Consultative Forum held in Owerri, Imo State, disclosed that about 50 per cent of the company’s earnings was withheld by the consumers.
The MD who pleaded with the affected customers to pay their electricity bills to enable the company improve on its service delivery to the people also expressed worry over vandalism of facilities and called on the customers to resist the temptation of dealing with touts instead of bonafide staff of the establishment.
He said “the poor public power supply stemmed from years of neglect of the sector. A lot of things need to be done and EEDC takes full responsibility of getting it right.”
He reminded consumers that the company’s brief does not include transmission and commended the Federal Governemnt for its bold step in privatising the power sector.
In a similar development, electricity consumers in South East and South South geopolitical zones have urged stakeholders in the sector to take urgent steps towards improving supply to Nigerians.
The meeting provided a forum for consumers to interact with the officials of Enugu, Port Harcourt and Benin electricity distribution companies on ways of improving quality of service.
Unavailability of pre-paid meters, estimated billing system, faulty installations, fixed charges were the major issues that dominated the discussions.
Some people sought to know the logic behind payment of fixed charges when they experience black out for months, while others called for provision of prepaid meters as a way of checking extortion.
In their separate reactions,