By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) on Wednesday, alerted that the company is losing over N3 billion monthly to electricity theft. .
IBEDC Head Customer Support, Mr Ayoola Adio who raised the alarm in Ibadan at the Electricity Consumer Complaint Resolution Platform, said the electricity theft are some of it’s customers.
Mr Adio pointed out that the affected customers are those not making payment on their bills or are not paying actual amount on their bills, those who bypass their meters, and some surcharge IBEDC among others.
Represented by the IBEDC Managing Director, Mr Adio stressed that IBEDC run on deficit every month and that this is preventing the company from serving it’s amiable customer better.
” We are handling our customers well, we feel pains whenever customers come for complains because our duty is to serve them better, the major complains from our customers is over billing and the only solution to that is metering but we are trying to bridge the gap”, he said
The IBEDC Head Customer Service added, “We want to sensitised our customers to desist, they should know that there is now a provision under the law that punish violators or defaulters.”
Appealing to people to pay their bill promptly, report any defaulter, and support IBEDC so as to have money to resolve issues affecting it’s customers, Mr Adio said the development is worrisome, and this necessitated cooperation between the company and electricity users to curb the menace.
Speaking, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr Babatunde Irukera urged electricity consumers to contribute their quota towards ensuring adequate electricity supply.
Mr Irukera while describing the event as right step in right direction, maintained that the platform would give consumers opportunity to pour out their mind, interface with IBEDC on challenges facing them.
” This platform will make the service providers to understand that their business is not just provision of electricity, but feedback from customers and demonstrate empathy, it is in face of this we get better interaction on both side. Customs experience in electricity has not improved over the years, if we fail to do the needful, we won’t be able to find solutions to challenges facing them.”
