The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has organised a Customer Complaints Resolution Meeting in Gombe state, to ensure improved services and effective regulation policy, for improve power supply to electricity customers in the state.
Speaking at the meeting, Assistant General Manager Consumer Affairs of the NERC, Mrs Regina Osuagwu, said the meeting was initiated by the commission to enhance customer satisfaction and promote transparency in the industry.
She stated that the complaints and feedback received from consumers during the meeting would aid the commission in its policy decisions and drafting of its regulations to improve services along the customer’s needs.
Mrs Osuagwu disclosed that the major concerns raised by the consumers at the meeting, were on estimated billing, metering and transformers related challenges.
According to her, meters can be obtained within 10 days of requests by electricity consumers.
“These kinds of meetings help in policy decisions and drafting regulations, because we would know the areas where customers are having issues, and how to improve our services.
“The customers have been enlightened, they know what to do if anybody asks them to pay money for transformer repair or buy a new one. We have provided them with a platform to report their complaints and receive solutions,” she explained.
Osuagwu explained that the meeting aimed to educate consumers on their rights, the rights of Distribution Companies (DisCos), investment regulations, and the operation of the sector.
Also speaking, the Chief Technical Officer of Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC), Hamisu Wakili Jigawa, said the company priotised investment in infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted power supply to customers in its franchise.
He revealed that 34 per cent of its customers in Gombe are fully metred, “with efforts underway by the distribution companies in collaboration by the federal government to bridge the 66 per cent gap.”
“But we need your support also through the prompt payment of electricity bills, avoiding energy theft, because the usage of prepaid meters ensures fair billing and energy accountability which benefit both customers and the DisCos,” he appealed.
