Customers who pay for meters will get a refund – PHED
Ani Bassey
The Head, Corporate Communications of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution, Plc PHED, Olubukola Ilevbare says customers who pay for meters will get a refund.
Ilevbare disclosed this in Calabar during the sidelines of a Customers Complaint Resolution Meeting organized by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC in Calabar.
She disclosed that meters are provided in phases and the NERC gave a room for customers who cannot wait to be provided meters to get it under the Meter Asset Provider.
She explained that said customers who get meters under this arrangement will get refunded through extra tokens when they recharge until the money is refunded.
“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 Ron 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 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 is refunded”, she said.
She 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, saying it’s a problems and called on all to be on the lookout.
Also speaking, Oscar Ubani, the head Maximum Demand of PHED said meters provided by the organization are 100% smart meters which is in line with modern technology.
He also disclosed that the Federal Governments Metering Plans has commenced in the state.
Earlier, Aisha Mahmud, the commissioner, Consumer Affairs of the NERC said the commission came to 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.
