Yemisi Izuora
The Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) Customer Complaint Unit has so far resolved over 50,572 customer complaints.
The company,in a statement, said that corporate customers within its network are now enjoying better and quality power supply.
“We have deployed new payment channels such as Point of Sales (PoS), web-based payment, bank payments, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and scratch card payment means,” BEDC said, adding that it had recorded successful metering of all 33kv outgoing feeders in the newly constructed TCN stations in Asaba, Oghara and Omotosho.
“We have also achieved extensive metering of 216 (nos) 11kv feeders; carried out the successful deployment of 922 High Voltage Distribution System (HVDs) poles mounted meters in Etete business unit as a pilot scheme and developed a standard process flow for other business unit to follow,” it stated.
·Other achievements according to the BEDC, are the engagement and training of 120 analytical graduates with specialties in Electrical/ Electronics, Mechanical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science and Accounting in conjunction with Vigeo Power Academy and Elizade University, Ilara Mokin, Ondo State.
It stated: “BEDC had since commenced procurement and kitting of technical staff such as linesmen, meter engineers with safety kits to roll off disaster management plan initiative. BEDC has set up very effective Customer Complaint Unit that has resolved over 50,572 customer complaints”.
Besides, the disco firm said: “With the new feeder separation, corporate customers are now beginning to enjoy better and quality power supply such as Guinness Nigeria Ltd and Delta Steel Mills in Delta state.
“We constructed over 360 route length of new distribution network to strengthen and expand existing network”.
On metering, the company said that the number of customers on installed pre-paid meters in its network has now risen to 43, 612.
The BEDC also said it added 47 injection substations to provide relief to overloaded network and provided 500 distribution transformers.
The disco firm said that it had also constructed 10 dedicated transformers for key customers and replaced failed power transformers and provided 398 distribution transformers.
Giving a breakdown of the meters, BEDC said: “We installed 40,612 meters under Credited Advanced Payment for Metering Implementation (CAMPI) and metered 3,000 pre-CAPMI customers.”
In addition to this, the company said that it commissioned 18 new power transformers in various districts across BEDC coverage states.
“We also deployed new payment channels such as Point of Sales (PoS), web-based payment, bank payments, Automated Teller machine (ATM) and scratch card payment means.
“We also recorded successful metering of all 33kv outgoing feeders in the newly constructed TCN stations in Asaba, Oghara and Omotosho and achieved extensive metering of 216 (nos) 11kv feeder and we carried out the successful deployment of 922 High Voltage Distribution System (HVDs) poles mounted meters in Etete business unit as a pilot scheme and developed a standard process flow for other business unit to follow,” the statement said.
BEDC it will be recalled, had recorded a major milestone as the first distribution company to benefit from a grant funding by United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).
This feat was achieved at a time when global lenders were beginning to evade investment in Nigeria’s power sector due to fears that the electricity tariff order in operations in the country could not guarantee good return on investments for the new owners.
The BEDC however, overcame these challenges by securing grants funding from the USTDA.
BEDC’s core investor consortium Vigeo Power Limited (VPL) with the assistance of Citi Asset Management Limited (CAML), initiated offshore funding to ensure that strategic investments initiatives to be taken by BEDC will be based on adequate research and planning.
The grant funding was offered for the purpose of Technical Assistance (TA) to update and modernise the electricity distribution network for BEDC in Nigeria.