The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) has attributed rising electricity bills among some customers to feeder upgrades aimed at improving power supply.
Mrs Adamma Ogwuegbu, PHED’s Head of Customer Service, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the company’s Customer Appreciation event in Port Harcourt.
Ogwuegbu said some customers were experiencing higher electricity bills following the migration of their feeders to Band A, which provides at least 20 hours of electricity daily.
She explained that customers whose feeders were upgraded to Band A were expected to pay the corresponding tariff.
“Some customers are experiencing increased tariffs because their electricity feeders have been migrated to a band that supplies electricity 24 hours,” she said.
Ogwuegbu noted that some customers still expected to pay the same rates they were charged before their feeders were upgraded.
She said the company was engaging customers to explain the differences in tariffs across the various electricity supply bands.
According to her, the challenge was partly caused by customers’ limited understanding of the relationship between electricity supply levels and applicable tariffs.
The PHED official stressed that electricity distribution was a business that required operators to recover revenue to sustain their operations.
“For us to remain in business, when we sell, we should be able to recover the revenue that we receive.
“Failure to recover revenue could threaten the sustainability of electricity distribution operations,” she said.
Ogwuegbu maintained that customers should be willing to pay for electricity when supply was adequate and reliable.
She assured that PHED would continue to educate customers on tariffs, feeder upgrades and the importance of improved revenue collection.
She also reaffirmed the company’s commitment to improving customer service and responding more effectively to complaints.
“The journey has not been perfect. However, we are committed to improving, listening better, responding better and treating our customers better,” she said.
Ogwuegbu explained that the customer appreciation event was organized to recognize customers whose patronage and support had sustained the company’s operations.
Earlier, Mr Emeka Ojoko, Executive Coordinator of NEPA Wahala, urged PHED to improve its response to customers’ complaints.
Ojoko acknowledged improvements in electricity supply in some parts of Port Harcourt but said the company’s response to prolonged outages and other complaints remained inadequate.
“For a Band A customer, you should not have prolonged outages, but whenever I have them, the response time is not as good as it ought to be,” he said.
He added that customers sometimes had to rely on personal connections within the company to have their complaints addressed.
Describing the situation as unfair, Ojoko stressed that every customer deserved prompt attention, regardless of personal relationships.
“Every customer deserves to have a listening ear. Even if you cannot solve the problem at once, somebody should respond promptly,” he said.
Another customer, Mr Festus Ola, said electricity was essential to his steel production business, which requires substantial power to operate.
Ola, however, reported significant improvements in electricity supply over the past few months. “In the past three to four months, we have never had power failure in our factory,” he said.
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The Chairman of PHED’s Board of Directors, Chief Olice Kemenanabo, presented awards to the company’s outstanding customers across its four operating states: Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers.
Bayo Yao Iron and Steel Company won the Best Customer Award, while Heliconia Park Hotel came second and CWay Company placed third.
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