We will not return to estimated billing, EEDC promises South East consumers

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has denied allegation that its swap of the standalone meters in its network with smart meters was to take its customers back to estimated billing.

No fewer than 40,000 customers of the electricity distribution company (DisCo) were disconnected in the ongoing exercise.

In a statement in Enugu, EEDC maintained that the exercise was principally for efficiency and better customer experience necessitated by the recent upgrade of its billing system.

It stated that the development made it increasingly difficult to provide technical support for customers using the meters.

The statement by EEDC’s head of Communications, Emeka Eze, assured customers affected by the exercise that the company had no intention of taking them back to estimated billing; rather, that the move was geared towards enhancing its service delivery and making customer experience even better.

“Customers who have run out of credit on their meters are encouraged to notify EEDC by visiting the Customer Service Unit (CSU) at the district office serving them for further action.

“To ensure a smooth transition, EEDC constituted several teams for each service centre to ensure timely migration of affected customers without subjecting them to any form of inconveniencies. The company also created a dedicated helpline (0815 082 5367) to handle all concerns and enquiries associated with this exercise for efficient operations,” it read in part.

To address the immediate financial burden on the affected customers, EEDC undertook to instal the new meters under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme without any down payment, while the repayment of the cost of meter will be spread over 24 months.

“In the migration process, affected customers who have ran out of energy on their meters will be connected to supply and not subjected to darkness, while the metering process is initiated. However, if for any reason the new meter cannot be installed immediately, the customer will be billed using the average of the last three months consumption recorded with their old meters until the new meter is installed.

“EEDC appeals to customers to understand and appreciate its genuine intention and not allow themselves to be misguided by anyone or group,” the statement added.