News
PHED Rakes In N5.2bn In One Month …Targets Revenue Recovery From 70,000 Debtors …To Metre More 10% Customers By Dec
As part of efforts to achieve the tripod pillars of increased revenue growth, standardisation of processes, and efficient people and performance management on which its core values stand in line with global best practices, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Plc, has raised its revenue collection to N5.2billion in August from N4.3billion in July, 2022.
This shows an increase of N900,000,000, representing a leap of approximately 20.94percent in revenue collection over a 30-day period in its franchise four states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers.
The revenue collection falls short of the N7.4billion value of bills submitted to customers across the value chain in the franchise states in August, alone.
This also means a daunting shortfall of N2.2billionn in revenue collection against projected target, which the company attributed to the resistance of some energy consumers in communities and cities, including private and public sector organisations, to pay electricity bills as at when due.
Managing Director of PHED, Dr Benson Uwheru, who revealed this feat at his maiden parley with media executives in Port Harcourt, last Friday, said the success recorded was in fulfillment of part of Federal Government’s desires for implementing the restructuring of the power sub-sector, last July.
Uwheru also said that the improved performance could not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of management and staff of PHED as well as the confidence, support and cooperation of customers and other stakeholders.
He, however, lamented that despite the sterling performance, no fewer than 70,000 customers have refused to pay for energy consumed over the last six months.
While appealing to all stakeholders to support and cooperate with PHED to accelerate steady electricity supply to customers, Uwheru quickly reminded energy consumers reluctant to pay bills that when both parties fulfill their obligations, there would be more electricity to drive industrialisation, boost job creation, enhance social and economic development, and promote peaceful coexistence, just as it also helps reduce poverty, crime rate and violence in the franchise states.
The Tide recalls that in early June, 2022, the energy distribution company had raised the alarm that consumers in Rivers State alone were owing the company more than N16billion on defaults from bills payment, just as it regretted the rising spate of attacks on PHED staff, vandalisation of facilities, energy theft and metre bypass.
But expressing optimism that things were beginning to turn around for the better, Uwheru said that with a determined management team, motivated workforce, and a customer base that was increasingly showing understanding following sustained sensitisation and awareness on the need to pay for energy bills, a more congenial atmosphere to facilitate electricity supply that meets rising demands would soon emerge.
He said that to achieve the energy for all goal set by the Federal Government, PHED has targeted to install pre-paid metres for no fewer than 10percent of the outstanding 40percent unmetred customers by December, 2022, adding that the company had earlier metred 60percent of its unmetred customers in the four states.
Uwheru further said available records show that PHED had metred 100percent of customers allocated to it by the Federal Government in the phase zero of the pre-paid metring regime, and expressed confidence that the company would be given its pride of place in the anticipated phase one of the metre manufacturers (MAP Vendors) scheme under the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission-supervised National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) to enable it meet the expectations of the over one million unmetred customers.
The Tide investigations show that 4Power Consortium Limited, owners of PHED, had inherited a huge profile of about 800,000 unmetred customers from Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in November, 2013, a culmination of 14-year power reform policy, and immediately launched an aggressive pre-paid metering campaign across its franchise states.
In 2020, it procured and distributed 79,000 pre-metres to customers who had indicated interest to transition from analogue to pre-paid metering structure; and in 2021, PHED procured more than 400,000 new pre-paid metres for distribution to customers, to reduce the demand-supply gap.
Out of that number, PHED had installed more than 149,000 pre-paid metres in homes and offices of desiring customers as at June, 2022, and targets to close the gap more with installation of pre-paid metres for over 10percent of the remaining enumerated unmetred customers by December.
On standardisation of processes and optimisation of performance, Uwheru said that a new technology App that meets global best practices has been developed and would soon be deployed to ensure simplified and seamless bills processing and payment system and guarantee fairness to all in the value chain.
The managing director also listed massive vandalisation of facilities in communities and huge energy theft as well as metre bypass by the rich and poor across all PHED franchise states as some of the major challenges confronting the energy company, and appealed to the media and other key stakeholders, including state and local governments, community leaders and security agencies to partner PHED to achieve set goals.
Between 2019 and June, 2022, the management embarked on proactive redistribution of more than 10 feeders; repaired over 300 transformers; procured and installed over 30 new transformers; and installed more than 10 automatic circuit reclosers to boost and balance electricity supply to customers, who are connected to electricity through more than 10,000 transformers in the network.
In all, PHED imported many 2MVA to 1000MVA transformers to boost distribution capacity; installed, replaced and/or repaired 59 distribution substations; replaced poles; cables of various sizes and types; installed conductors and risers; installed a 60MVA substation at Rumuosi in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area; and concluded talks for bilateral agreement with the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) and First Independent Power Company Limited (FIPC) to evacuate 100MW and 20MW electricity, respectively, within the franchise area.
It also intervened by supporting the rehabilitation of facilities of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), to ensure uninterrupted power supply to its valued customers.
On people’s management, Uwheru noted that on assumption of duty in July, he initiated working visits to all security formations in the franchise states, adding that the result of that synergy was the setting up of a special unit by the Rivers State Police Command to respond to PHED concerns, saying that other formations were also partnering with the DisCo to enable it perform its duties without let or hindrance.
Uwheru also restated his readiness to respect the rights of workers and work with the labour unions to ensure that issues around the welfare of staff were prioritised, as according to him, an energised and motivated workforce was an enabler for scaling up profitability and growth in the business.
The Tide checks reveal that before he took over in July, PHED management had procured and put to use over 100 vehicles; procured over 1,000 PPEs for technicians and engineers; and 345 ladders to enable technical crews respond to customer needs as quickly as possible.
It also promoted 722 staff in 2021; 62 in August, 2021, and 66 in January, 2022; and launched engineering training scheme where 25 young engineers have already undergone training this year, all geared toward motivating workers.
Uwheru said that the improved revenue collection in August shows enhanced customer confidence in PHED, adding that more pro-people initiatives were being implemented to boost company-customer relations, reduce hostility against PHED staff, as well as curtail other sticky issues of energy theft, metre bypass, and vandalisation of critical electricity assets.
Before July, PHED had intensified public enlightenment campaigns across all the franchise states to create awareness on the dangers of vandalisation of electricity assets, consequences of energy theft, and the blow-back of refusal to pay for electricity consumed by customers.
In addition to media campaigns and public education initiatives, special community liaison officers/teams had been engaging beneficiary communities to further deepen interactions with the aim of fostering understanding and cooperation while creating buy-in of stakeholders to protect PHED facilities and also ensure improved revenue inflow.
To consolidate on the gains already made, PHED also began implementing impactful corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes that contribute to national development in many ways through interventions to enhance quality education, healthcare delivery and social development in communities, particularly among the vulnerable ones.
The initiatives include the donation of over 1,400 bags of rice to vulnerable people during the COVID-19 pandemic era in 2020; organisation of women’s week and visit to Motherless Babies’ Home, and Home for the Elderly in Port Harcourt in 2020; as well as supply of complete set of school bags to one of the state government-owned primary schools in Port Harcourt.
The PHED further sponsored Innovate Arts Academy for schools worth over N2.8million in Bayelsa State in 2021; school children’s competition in 2021; and donation of over 1,000 writing materials during the 2022 Children’s Day to schools in Rivers and Cross River states.
Uwheru said that his team would continue with the good policies already helping to scale up the company’s performance while introducing new strategies to bridge existing gaps, including keying into the walk-for-security road show and featuring on live interactive media programmes in Port Harcourt, among others.
By: Nelson Chukwudi
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