Why electricity consumers must pay their bills promptly — AEDC

The Niger Region, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) says, electricity consumers in the area must pay their bills promptly to enable the company improve energy supply to serve them better.

Mr Adamu Mohammed, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of AEDC, Niger region, comprising of Minna, Bosso, Bida and Kontagora, made the appeal in Minna on Friday, during an interview with our correspondent.

“You see, many of the electricity consumers see electricity as a privilege, but it is not so because we have gone fully commercial.

“We have been using the media to sensitise the public on why they must pay their electricity bills promptly to enable us improve energy supply and serve them better.

“The AEDC purchases the energy it distributes to consumers in Niger region at the rate of 1.5 billion per month.

“Right now power supply has improved, but our average collection per month remains at 400 million,” he said.

Mohammed who decried the situation said that it was a bad signal for the company as no business would survive under the current condition.

He noted that there were challenges in the energy value chain, starting from generation, transmission and distribution, adding that AEDC was doing everything to ensure improved power supply in the area.

Mohammed said that in 2022, the company spent over 500 million to change and rehabilitate some equipment to improve power supply.

The PRO said that when electricity consumers pay their bills promptly, it would enable the company to continue to improve power supply to boost socioeconomic activities.

He stressed the need for the electricity consumers to purchase the pre-paid metres, to prevent over billing or under-billing against the company.

“The direct billing (estimated billing) is always characterised with over-billing or under-billing, resulting in face-off between the customer and the company.

“Anywhere we are dealing with the customers directly, it is either the customer is cheating the company or the company is cheating the customer,” he said.

Mohammed said that there was an ongoing Metre Access Provider (MAP) exercise, to ensure that electricity consumers purchase their pre-paid metres and reimbursed through Energy Token by the AEDC.

“Right now the AEDC has pre-paid metres available for sale now in Niger region, so we want customers to come and buy their metres.

“Federal Government has given the AEDC 10 years to reimburse electricity consumers who purchased their pre-paid metres.

“Infact the AEDC has started paying back customers who purchased their own pre-paid metres through Energy Token,” he said.

He advised the public to report any electricity fault or complaint to any AEDC office near them for better service delivery.

The PRO also called on the public to help the company in securing electricity equipment near them, by reporting vandals to the security agencies or any AEDC office near them.

Also speaking, Alhaji Haruna Aliyu, a resident of Minna said that recently power supply had improved, but for paucity of funds by consumers to pay.

Aliyu blamed the situation on the current economic downturn being experienced in the country.