The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), has launched a community empowerment programme meant to ensure 100 per cent monthly collection of bills in communities within the South-East.
The Head, EEDC Communication, Mr Emeka Ezeh, said in a statement on Sunday in Enugu that the launch of the initiative took place recently in five states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo under EEDC jurisdiction.
Ezeh explained that with the initiative, the communities were expected to ensure that bills for energy consumed are paid for in full, while as an incentive, commission on the collection will be paid to the group appointed by the community to oversee this responsibility.
According to him, the initiative would create a source of income for them and lead to the improvement of electricity supply in the community as well.
“EEDC last week launched its Community Empowerment Programme, an initiative targeted at communities and designed to provide reliable, guaranteed and quality service to them.
“The Programme also provides job opportunity for members of the communities through partnership.
“Present at the events were representatives of the respective state governments, traditional rulers, President-Generals of communities, management staff of EEDC as well as other stakeholders,’’ he said.
In his remarks at the launch of the initiative in various events, the Managing Director of EEDC, Mr Okey Nwosu, said that the initiative was introduced as part of a conscious plan to reduce Aggregate Technical and Commercial (ATC) losses experienced by the company.
“At the same time create profitable business opportunity for the community as well as job opportunities for its members.
“The communities are expected to ensure that bills for energy consumed are paid for in full, while as incentive, commission on the collection will be paid to the group appointed by the community to oversee this responsibility, thereby creating a source of income for them.
“To ensure this initiative is sustainable, the participating communities will enjoy better power supply with regular maintenance of the electricity infrastructure serving them, while meters will be installed at the transformers for efficient energy audit and measurement,’’ Nwosu said.
At the launch in Awka, Anambra, Gov. Willie Obiano, lauded EEDC for the initiative and expressed the state government’s preparedness to support it.
Obiano, represented by the Commissioner for Public Utilities, Mr Emeka Ezenwanne, said the state government would partner EEDC to ensure that the initiative works, and provide better supply to the people of the state.
At the launch in Owerri, Imo State, the Director-General, Imo State Power and Rural Electrification Agency (I-POREA), Dr Albert Okorogu, commended the initiative and encouraged the communities to imbibe the habit of turning off lighting points during the day and appliances when not in use.
According to Okorogu, I-POREA is collaborating with EEDC in ensuring that the culture of energy management is entrenched.
“There is a law coming and we are going to ban the use of incandescent bulbs which causes us a lot of problems,” he added.
In Abakaliki in Ebonyi State, Commissioner for Power and Energy, Mr Ogbonnaya Ude, while expressing appreciation to EEDC over the initiative, said it was a welcome development.
“Energy-saving bulb, although costly, lasts longer once it is of good quality and will reduce cost on energy consumption,’’ Ude said.
It was gathered that the company plans to take the Community Empowerment Programme further to communities within South-East; while interested communities are encouraged to visit the District Office in charge of their area for further inquiries.
The high point of the launch events was the free distribution of energy-saving bulbs by EEDC to all the customers in attendance.
It has been observed that the high bill in most of the communities can be attributed to the use of incandescent (filament) bulbs and not turning off bulbs and appliances when not in use.
