BEDC to publish power availability schedules to customers
Reporter
Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) has indicated that in view of prevailing electricity generation limitations, it would start publishing power availability schedules for its customers in its coverage area. It said the pilot scheme would start in Edo and Delta before moving to Ondo and Ekiti states.
Funke Osibodu, managing director/chief executive officer of BEDC, explained that the power availability schedule became necessary to enable customers predict when electricity would be supplied or interrupted and restored and thus enable them plan their activities around the schedule.
“It has become necessary to undertake the programme for customers in order to improve our services to them. They however should note that load-shedding times may sometimes vary due to changes in generation, technical challenges and other unforeseen events beyond our control. This will first be published for Edo and Delta State and after perfecting this, similar publication will be done for Ondo and Ekiti State,” she stated.
The BEDC boss said the schedule was being given final shape before the advertisement will be published in leading newspapers when the implementation commences.
According to her, the load management schedule was prepared based on the roaster submitted by each of the company’s 24 business units, while codes were assigned to each 11KV feeder emanating from injection substations that feeds specific areas in the four states.
She further said that in Edo State for instance, BEDC was creating conducive environment for companies to grow by balancing power given to both residential, communities and industrial locations.
Speaking on the concept of Route Marshall, she said it was part of the initiatives by BEDC for its customer management activities aimed at enhancing customer relations and improving the company’s commercial field operations.
“A route is defined as collection of customers in certain transformers in some particular route(s) which the assigned officers will be expected to manage and ensure customers on it are properly managed/served. This includes bringing into the company records all consumers that may have been connected illegally to the company’s network,” she pointed out.
BEDC said it has metered 150,000 consumers since its takeover of the assets of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) on November 1, 2013.