The Nation Newspaper

Tag: AEDC

  • NERC queries AEDC for over-billing customers

    NERC queries AEDC for over-billing customers

    The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) yesterday  issued the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) notice of enforcement action over what it described as ‘manifest and flagrant breaches’ of approved methodology for estimated billing of electricity consumers.

    In the notice , it directed Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to explain within seven days why “enforcement action should not be taken against you and sanctions meted accordingly for non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the licence granted you, the Methodology for Estimated Billing 2012 and directives to submit a comprehensive data used for the billing of unmetered customers” for the period under review.

    Its Head, Public Affairs Department, Dr. Usman Abba Arabi in a statement yesterday, said the notice is a follow up to previous investigations and forensic observations of electricity distribution companies’ operations through which an unusual increases in estimated billings of electricity consumers were observed within the last quarter of last year by NERC.

    AEDC and some others were subsequently invited for explanation for the unusual increase in estimated billings.

  • AEDC promises stable power during Yuletide

    Management of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has assured electricity customers across the three states of Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory of its preparedness to respond speedily to faults and ensure that load allocated to it is distributed to customers equitably during the yuletide season.

    Head  Public Relations and Media, Ahmed Shekarau   said part of its strategy to meet customers’ electricity need during the festive season is the setting up of a Special Taskforce fully equipped to speedily distribute the load allocated to it and also clear faults wherever they may occur within its franchise area.

    To this end, the regional managers in the company’s six regions of Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa, FCT Central, FCT South and FCT North have been directed to prepare, submit and monitor their Special Taskforce group with similar groups set up in the Area Offices.

    The company assured further that notwithstanding the movement of customers to celebrate the Yuletide with their loved ones in their towns and villages, it will ensure that wherever the customers are in its franchise area, it will ensure equitable distribution of load allocated to it and speedy response to faults.

    While thanking all its customers for their understanding this year, its management said it is optimistic that power supply and associated services such as the purchase of electricity token, metering, meter reading and billing will enjoy major improvement in the new year to the delight of the customers.

    The firm urged customers to be safety conscious and resist the temptation to engage in any act of theft of energy or vandalism. It advised customers to also take advantage of the existence of its Call Centres.

  • ‘AEDC to roll out 100,000 meters yearly’

    ‘AEDC to roll out 100,000 meters yearly’

    The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) will rollout 100,000 pre-paid meters yearly, the Managing Director, Neil Croucher, has said.

    Croucher, who made this known in Abuja, said the   measure is intended to address the company’s coverage areas’ metering gap .

    He said: “We inherited a huge metering gap with different  billing systems that do not communicate with one another. Indeed, there are five different vending platforms which we’re trying to harmonise so that they can communicate with each other; meaning that customers can buy their electricity token from any part of the areas covered by AEDC.

    “The operation of five different vending platforms have their challenges, which were not in the interest of our customers and our operation.”

    He said the company has arranged to install 100,000 meters a year in order to wipe out the backlog in its coverage areaas as quickly as possible, adding, “after securing the (metering) platform, we can then introduce our e-payment solution through which customers can purchase power either through internet, cellphones and e-banking, among others.”

    The AEDC boss explained that the company is planning to migrate from the manual billing system it inherited to the modern one.”In the next few weeks, we should have the single (vending) platform commissioned and then rolled out to our entire supply area.

    He saif the firm has six billing centres that would also communicate with each other and give it a centralized data base”, Croucher added.

    He said in line with the proposed billing system, the company is making plans for a new meter reading system that would capture data electronically and automatically upload same into the company’s billing system, thus eliminating estimated billing and ensuring the integrity of bills.

    Responding to a question on allegations that the Discos’ indebtedness to banks is suffocating the banking sector, the Abuja Disco boss said: “I think it is important to separate the company, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company from its owners.

    “AEDC has not obtained any loan and so we don’t have loan repayment issue or debt overhang on our necks, though we would be taking loans in the process so that we would be able to fund the many projects which are required”, he affirmed.