The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC), asserts that power distribution companies (DisCos), bear the primary responsibility for replacing or repairing malfunctioning electricity transformers.
This was stated by Mrs. Aisha Mamoud, NERC’s Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, during a three-day problem-solving session between customers in Cross River and PHEDC from Thursday to Saturday, August 10, dubbed the “Customer Complaints Resolution Meeting.”
Mamoud further asserts that consumers should not be forced to pay for transformer or cable replacement or repair.
Mamoud stated that the purpose of the meeting was to inform and educate customers about the electricity industry and their rights as consumers. She further claimed that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), asserted that the responsibility for replacing or repairing malfunctioning electricity transformers lies with power distribution companies rather than customers.
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“In regards to our duties and responsibilities as a Regulatory body,, the consumer act says we should try to maximize access to electricity giving that all consumers in this country have access to electricity irrespective of where they live. It is their fundmental right to have access to electricity
“Another reason we are here is to resolve all your complaints . We have done it in several parts of the country and it was a very huge success. All your complaints will be solve on the spot.” She assured.
She emphasised that the federal government and the discos have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the provision of meters, and that it is the DisCos’ obligation to provide meters in order to prevent estimated billing.
According to Mrs. Olubukola Ilevbare, Head of Corporate Communication at PHED, the firm is finding it difficult to keep up with the demands of vandalism in the state.
She pointed out that vandalism is the main source of transformer problems and mentioned that the PHED had replaced damaged transformers on multiple occasions.
“I now there are times that we don’t respond to our customers as we should, maybe as a result of demands; our goal is to do our best to ensure that whenever there are genuine complaints, we attend to them.
“DisCos are responsible for providing meters; however, if a customer is unable to wait for the DisCo to provide the meter, which is done in phases, he can purchase his own meter and it will be installed in 10 days,” the spokesperson stated.
