PHED installs 200,000 meters, shifts focus to power supply

The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED) Plc says it has installed more than 200,000 electricity meters in the past year, reducing complaints about estimated billing and overcharging among its customers.
The company said the improvement had shifted consumers’ major concerns towards irregular electricity supply and delays in responding to network faults.

Its Chief Finance Officer, Ogaga Ologe, disclosed this at a customer enlightenment and complaint resolution meeting organised in Port Harcourt in collaboration with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Ologe said the large-scale meter installation had helped address some of the longstanding complaints raised by customers during previous engagements.

“Last year, there were so many metering issues. But within the last one year, we have installed over 200,000 metres. So that has actually resolved the issue of either over-billing or estimated billing,” he said.
He noted that electricity supply had now become the major concern among consumers, explaining that the challenges cut across the power value chain, including generation and transmission, and were not entirely within the control of distribution companies.

Ologe said PHED was rehabilitating its network, including replacing electricity lines, to improve the consistency of supply across its franchise areas.
He acknowledged that the company had yet to meet customers’ expectations but appealed for patience and continued feedback.
“We are not there yet, but we believe that we will get there. We just need our customers to be patient, to continue to report and let us know what issues they are having so we can try to fix them,” he said.

The finance chief also disclosed plans to make customer service a responsibility shared by all PHED employees, rather than limiting complaint resolution to designated customer service officers.
He said the company had customer service offices across its regions, feeder offices and injection substations, but more awareness was needed to help consumers access assistance.

On electricity band classification, Ologe said power available from the national grid was distributed according to customer categories, with Band A receiving priority because of its cost-reflective tariff structure.
He explained that Band A customers were entitled to a minimum of 20 hours of electricity daily and could hold the company accountable when it failed to meet the requirement.

Earlier, PHED’s Head of Corporate Communications, Olubukola Ilevbare, said the meeting was organised to enable customers to discuss operational challenges directly with management, provide feedback and seek solutions to their complaints.
She said customer service officers were available to resolve issues that could be addressed immediately, while technical complaints would be referred to the relevant departments.
Ilevbare also urged customers to use the company's digital channels, including its 24-hour call centre, social media platforms and PHED Connect mobile application, to purchase electricity tokens, obtain information and report complaints.
Some participants, however, called for quicker responses to faults and improved electricity supply in their communities.

Samuel Okoro, chairman of the light committee in Nkpogu Community, urged PHED to deploy more operational personnel and vehicles, particularly to improve responses to faults during night shifts.
Another customer, Osho Adewale, from Oyigbo District, appealed for more reliable electricity and faster intervention in resolving network problems affecting his community.

Chief Aruo Nzekwe, who oversees five transformers in Ngbuato Community, Eliparawon, commended the engagement and expressed hope that the assurances given by PHED officials would translate into better supply.
Anozie Frank, another participant, described the meeting as an important opportunity for consumers to obtain accurate information and take their complaints directly to decision-makers.

Responding to concerns about electricity theft, vandalism and other infractions, a PHED official, Ereware, said the company had a revenue protection department responsible for addressing such issues.
She advised customers against taking the law into their hands, urging them to use established complaint channels and escalate unresolved grievances to NERC for regulatory intervention.
The meeting, themed Building Value Together, was part of PHED’s efforts to improve transparency, strengthen customer relations and make its operations more responsive to consumers.