Monday 8 February 2016

PUBLIC NOTICE: EKEDP ‘S STATEMENT ON PLANNED NATIONWIDE STRIKE BY THE NLC AND TUC OVER CHANGES IN ELECTRICITY TARIFFS

The Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc wishes to make the following statement regarding the threat to picket our facilities by the NLC and TUC as part of a nationwide action to protest the recent increase in electricity tariffs in the country.

1.     We have 460,000 customers. As of now, 200,000 customers are already on ppm and credit meter. However, Eko’s policy is to replace all meters with smart meters and meters all un-metered customers. Even without a cost reflective tariff, we have installed 46,000 smart meters. With the new tariff, we are scheduled to install an additional 150,000 smart meters before the end of this year; and in 2017, we are also scheduled to install additional 200,000 smart meters which will basically cover the metering gap.

2.     The expenses involved in this plan is way above our commitment under the Performance Agreement with the BPE. As metering is at the heart of our business, all our meters will be changed to smart meters to reduce and ultimately eliminate argument over consumption.

3.     Our metering plan will eliminate estimated billing. We are also spending on other network improvement programmes like providing more transformers, injection substations and underground cable to ensure better distribution of power.

4.     We have commenced a customer enumeration exercise to ascertain all the consumers on our network and their pattern of consumption. This exercise which has so far been concluded in three districts will greatly assist us to know our customers and reduce incidents of power theft.

5.     We recently signed an agreement with Egbin Power to add an additional 100mw to our network to greatly boost supply to our customers. We also planned to add about 470mw of embedded power. Meanwhile, power from the grid has hit an all-time high of 5,000mw from only 2,000 when we took over. This is solid proof that the reform are working and we must all refrain from any act capable of disrupting or slowing down the pace of progress already made within the last two years. Rather, we must all work together to consolidate the gains of the reforms.

6.     Our network, like others, is severely threatened by the twin problem of power theft and vandalism. We repeat our appeal to the public to report illegal connections and vandalism of our equipment as we all suffer when a few hold us to ransom.

7.     Our company is providing jobs to over 2,500 employees many of whom have dependents families. Any disruption at this time will prove too costly to fix. We have continued to train Nigerians in highly skilled jobs as we consider it our responsibility to turn around our fortunes in this country.

8.     We ask security agencies to provide protection to our installations as we know from past experience that protest like this are used by vandals to unleash untold damage to public equipment which will be too costly to fix.

9.     There is no amount of grievance that we cannot talk over. A nationwide strike this time is not only unnecessary but will not achieve much. Labour should commit itself to the pervading atmosphere of change in the country and support the electricity reforms.

10.                       Finally, we assure our customers that we are determined to reduce their dependence on more expensive power from diesel or petrol generators and defeat the cartel that does not want these reforms to work.

Our complaints centers are open 24/7 to deal with all issues from our customers.

Announcer
Management

For more information on our services, please call:
+2347080655555, +2348129928282, +234812992883

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