CPC, DISCOs seek end of energy theft to boost power supply nationwide

• DPR seals 15 illegal filling stations in Akwa Ibom
• NDPHC commissions injection substations, completes 40 projects

The Consumers Protection Council (CPC) and Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) have urged electricity consumers nationwide to desist from energy theft through bypassing of meters.

They stressed that stakeholders should imbibe the culture of energy management for efficient and uninterrupted power supply in the country.

They stated this while addressing a town hall meeting organised by Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) in collaboration with the MacArthur Foundation on electricity metering gap, and engaging consumers for efficient energy utilisation in states under the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).

South-South Chief Planning Officer of CPC, Johnson Uche Osi, said the council had observed improvements in the metering of electricity consumers in the country.

Osi added that in ensuring that consumers were not cheated and are provided efficient service delivery said the CPC has also intervened in most issues affecting stakeholders in the industry, which includes estimated billings to ‘realistic’ billing of consumers.

Project Officer of SDN, Joseph Ekong, urged electricity consumers not to engage in bypassing of meters and other forms of electricity theft, noting that its engagement with BEDC had started yielding positive results, as effort to ensure metering of consumers by the DISCOs was in progress.

Electricity consumers at the meeting urged the BEDC and other DISCOs to provide prepaid meters to consumers to end estimated billings.

Other stakeholders including Civil Society Organisations and the Conference of Non-Governmental Organisations (CONGOS) in the state stressed that non- metering and estimated billings were exploitation of electricity consumers by the DISCOs.

Head of BEDC, Fidelis Nduka Obishai, stressed the importance of energy management for efficient and uninterrupted power supply in the country.

In a related development, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has disclosed that it sealed 15 illegal filling stations between 2017 and May 2018 in Akwa Ibom state.

Operations Controller of DPR, Tamunoiminabo Kingsley-Sundaye made this known yesterday in Eket, saying the owners of the stations were operating without documentation from DPR office in the state.

He stressed that each of the stations would pay N2.5 million fine for flouting the Petroleum Act of 1969.

Meanwhile, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), promoters of National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) has commissioned two 30 Mega Volt Ampere (MVA) capacity injection substations to boost electricity supply in Lagos.

Its Managing Director, Chiedu Ugbo, while inaugurating the project yesterday in Lagos, said the two 15 MVA power injection substations would boost electricity supply to customers in Ikeja and environs.

Ugbo added that the company has completed over 40 projects in the last two years under his watch and commended his predecessor, James Olotu, for ensuring effective monitoring and completion of projects to meet world standards.