PHED warns customers over infractions, fraud

Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Plc (PHED) issued a warning to its customers across its franchise states, on July 28, 2024, advising them to avoid engaging in deceptive practices and to refrain from cooperating with any fraudulent employees of the company.

The company stated that it is not responsible for customer banding.

It clarified that banding is solely the responsibility of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

NERC regulates the electricity value chain.

Mrs. Ochuko Amah, the Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of PHED, issued the warning during an exclusive luncheon for its maximum demand customers.

The event, titled ‘MD Customers’ Meet,’ took place in Port Harcourt.

Amah, represented by the company’s Chief Financial Officer, Efemena Elutabe, responded to complaints from some customers regarding the conduct of certain PHED staff.

PHED Managing Director remarks

Her remarks addressed concerns raised about these employees’ activities.

She said, “As a customer, please don’t collaborate with fraudulent staff.

“When there is an issue, it normally takes some time because there is a procedure.

“But that procedure is not forever.

“So if a staff member says to you this problem will take some time but there is a shorter way, no.

“It is not our way. Report such staff and management will know what to do with that staff.”

She explained that the event was intended to exchange ideas with customers, understand their concerns, express appreciation,

The event was also intended to gather feedback to improve service.

She emphasized that PHED exists because of its customers, whom she described as essential to the company’s success.

Amah stated, “This event is actually like an evolution of what we want to start doing. That’s appreciating our customers more.

“And finding time to really have that collaboration where we can get more feedback from them to know exactly what is happening within their own space in terms of not just managing their energy but also the interactions that they have with our staff at all levels.

“That’s the MD customers.

“So we are just doing this to make sure that we start having that collaboration.

“And at the same time, hear from them.

“See where we can have a win-win situation in helping them and also helping ourselves.”

Emphasis on proper usage and billing of electricity

Regarding the efficiency of the newly introduced banding regime and feedback from electricity consumers, the PHED Managing Director urged customers to closely monitor where their energy is being supplied.

She emphasized the importance of paying attention to this aspect to ensure proper usage and billing.

“We had a customer who was complaining that they don’t get 20 hours of energy.

“Meanwhile, it was the chief engineer who was actually doing diesel racketeering at the end of the day.

“So they were actually getting more than 20 hours, but he was not reporting it because he had to prove that they were using diesel, which they were not using.

“The reality is that the banding is not done by us.

“The banding is done by NERC and the banding is based on the availability of hours of energy that will go to that area.

“That is why I say it’s highly regulated.

“We (PHED) just work with the banding and try as much as possible to provide infrastructure that will make some of these places have more light, that’s more energy.

“With that, it will be easy for us to move them up the band from D to C to B.

“Our real target is to move everybody to band A in the long run,” she disclosed.

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