By Abasi Ita, Calabar
The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHED has disclosed that Non MD consumers who procured pre-paid meters for installation are entitled to total refund of the exact amount in tokens.
The Head, Corporate Communications of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution, Plc PHED, Olubukola Ilevbare
Ilevbare disclosed this in Calabar during the a Customers Complaint Resolution Meeting organized by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC.
She revealed that “meters are provided in phases and NERC gives room for customers who cannot wait to be provided meters to get it under the Meter Asset Provider”
She explained that customers who get meters under this arrangement will get refunded through extra tokens when they recharge until the cost of the meter is exhausted.
According to her,”It is the responsibility of discos to provide metres but there are customers that cannot wait for the meters because it’s done in phases.
“The money is not there to meter all customers in Nigeria at the same time and that was why NERC gave room for Meter Asset Provider.
” If you pay for it (meter) within ten days the meter will be installed but the beautiful thing is that you will get a refund.
“When you pay for it, you have made an upfront payment for tokens and over a period of time the money will be paid back to you in the form of tokens.
” For example, when you buy a token of say N5, 000, there will be an extra on it until the money for meter is totally refunded”,she said.
The PHED spoke person added that “the goal of the PHED is to do its best to ensure that they attend to genuine complains of its customers'”
She also decried the high level of vandalization of electricity installations in the state, describing it as a problem and called on all to be on the lookout.
Also speaking, Engr. Oscar Ubani, the head Maximum Demand Metering of PHED said PHED has commenced metering of Non MD customers through the Disco Financing option where over 20,000 households will be metered across PHED franchise on the first phase using smart Prepayment meters provided by the organization are 100% smart meters.
Earlier, Aisha Mahmud, the commissioner, Consumer Affairs of the NERC said the commission were in the state to help resolve complaints by electricity consumers.
She added that electricity is a fundamental right and their aim is to try to maximize access to electricity.