Onome Amuge
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has revealed that electricity thefts by its customers result in a loss of over three billion naira every month.
The largest electricity distribution company in Nigeria by customer base said these thefts are carried out by customers who either don’t pay their bills or pay less than the actual amount owed, bypass their meters, or otherwise surcharge the company.
At the Electricity Consumer Complaint Resolution Platform in Ibadan, Kingsley Achife, managing director of IBEDC, said the company runs at a loss every month due to the theft of electricity by its customers, preventing it from providing better service to its customers.
Achife, who was represented by Ayoola Adio, head of customer support at IBEDC, appealed to the public to pay their bills promptly, report any defaulters, and support the company to ensure it has the funds to resolve customer issues.
“We are handling our customers well, we feel pains whenever customers come for complaints because our duty is to serve them better, the major complaint from our customers is billing and the only solution to that is metering but we are trying to bridge the gap.”
“We want to sensitise our customers to desist, they should know that there is now a provision under the law that punishes violators or defaulters,” Achife noted.
Babatunde Irukera, the executive vice chairman/CEO of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), called on electricity consumers to do their part to ensure adequate electricity supply. Irukera praised the event as a positive step in the right direction, as it provides consumers with an opportunity to voice their concerns and interact with IBEDC about the challenges they face.
The FCCPC vice chairman observed that the experience of electricity consumers has not improved over the years, stressing that if consumers do not take the necessary actions, they will be unable to find solutions to the challenges they face.
“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 sides,” he added.
