The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has urged electricity consumers in Anambra State to report any request by officials of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) for the purchase of transformers, cables, or poles.

Speaking during a town hall meeting in Awka, NERC’s Commissioner for Stakeholders Management, Hajiya Aisha Mohammed, represented by the Head of Consumer Protection, Dr. Zubairu Babatunde, emphasized that such items are investments of the distribution companies and not the responsibility of consumers.

She said reports of such incidents should be documented and forwarded to NERC for prompt action.

“NERC regulates the operations of the distribution companies and ensures customers are not short-changed. If consumers are dissatisfied with services, they should channel their complaints appropriately. We are also here to listen to your concerns and for the DISCOS to respond directly,” Mohammed said.

Issues raised at the meeting included metering, billing, electricity supply, and service quality. NERC officials, who will be in the state for three days, also supervised the acquisition of prepaid meters during the exercise. Consumers were assured they would receive their meters within the period.

Dr. Idika Okechukwu, Chief Information Officer of EEDC, representing the company’s Managing Director, said a meter laboratory has been established in Onitsha to fast-track installations. He assured that any consumer who pays for a meter would have it installed within 72 hours.

Okechukwu added that 750,000 of the 1,365,400 electricity consumers in Anambra State have been metered, and the company remains committed to complying with NERC’s metering regulations.

He further disclosed that EEDC will introduce an offline bill payment system before the end of the month to make payment easier for customers.