‘Paucity of funds hinders metering of over 700,000 consumers in South East’

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has said that shortage of funds is hindering the metering of over 700,000 consumers in the South East.

Als0, electricity consumers yesterday issued a January 2017 deadline for the metering of all of them in the zone.At a forum with officials of the EEDC to resolve the impasse generated by the outrageous bills given from October 2016 to date, it explained that it was convinced that metering would address several problems of consumers, noting, however that paucity of funds had always hindered the effort.

Head, Communications, Emeka Eze, stated that since it took over three years ago, the company had spent over N9 billion on metering alone, adding that huge investments had been made to resuscitate its facilities that were in bad shape when it took over.

He explained that the company has an installed capacity to distribute 1000 megawatts of electricity, but that due to low generation, 200 to 300 was currently being distributed.

National Chairman of the Enugu Electricity Forum, Rev. Okechukwu Obioha, said that energy theft was being committed in the zone with the connivance of the officials of the EEDC. He urged the company to look inwards and sanitize itself.

He stated that the ultimatum to meter consumers in the zone had become necessary to avoid actions that could threaten electricity supply, calling on the company to reverse the outrageous bills given from October 2016 to date.

“We call on EEDC to stop disconnecting people on the basis of the questionable increase and those disconnected, be reconnected without delay and at no cost to the affected consumers.

“We strongly call on EEDC to improve energy supply to the Southeast consumers; and where the shortage in the supply of power is due to low generation, consumers must be billed commensurate to the quality and quantity of light they consume”, he said.