Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has stated that the military is owing almost N700million.
EKEDC, Chief Executive Officer Dr Oladele Amoda speaking at a media briefing in Lagos yesterday said the company has begin to engaged the military formations in discussions and working out modalities to recover the debt.
He said between Nov. 2013 to date EKEDC has invested over N7billion to rehabilitate, sustain and do expansion of the networks.
“We are focusing on loss reduction (Aggregate Technical Commercial and Collection Losses) which we have been able to reduce significantly from 35 per cent when we took over to 29 per cent presently.
“It is also imperative to state that the losses were actually more than 35 per cent when we took over and re-examined the assets. In the next five years, we are working to reduce it to 10 per cent maximum,” he said.
The CEO also reveals plans to procure 400,000 meters which will cost the sum of N3.9 trillion to serve other commercial and residential customers within its operations.
Amoda that it has earmarked the sum of $15 million (2.92 billion) on maximum demand pre-paid meters to meet the demand of customers.
He called on Nigerians to embrace the Credit Advancement Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) in other to curb the much talked about estimated billing.
He said that CAPMI provides a platform for willing customers to pay the cost of the meter into a dedicated account jointly managed by the DISCO and meter Vendor/Installer.
According to him, once payment has been effected, the customer will have their meter installed within 45 days, by a NERC accredited Vendor/Installer.
Amoda said that it is better for customers to approach the DISCOs for advance payment and get metered immediately.
“We want to eliminate estimated billing gradually, this is because meter is free but customers can either wait for our meter or advance us some fund and get a refund later under the CAPMI.
“We will meter them within 45 days, though our customers are not fully metered, but we have designed a robust strategy to metering our customers. We have metered about 3000 customers so far.
“By month end, we should have a large consignment that will help us meter our customers. We will meter our customers with new smart meters. So, our customers should bear with us,” he said.
On dwindling power supply from the grid, he blamed the situation primarily on gas pipeline vandalism which he said has been on the increase.
He said that EKEDC is expecting about 170MW from off-grid suppliers like 13MW from First Power in Ijora, another 40MW from Ogijo, and 100MWnfrom Egbin power plant.
He said his company has sustained inherited network through rehabilitation of dilapidated assets.
“Over 200No new distribution transformer and 3No 15MVA 33/11KV Power transformers installed. 10No 33kV new feeders and several 11KV feeders constructed in several locations.
“We focused on improving customer’s service reorientation and gradual elimination of estimated billing through in-house metering. Our greatest challenges include shortfall in generation capacity resulting from incessant gas pipeline vandalism.
“Vandalisation of cables, transformers and other distribution equipment. Energy theft is not left out and by-passing of meters by customers,” Amoda added.