Taking a new directive to cut down on its debt incursion implementations, the Management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has announced that it has retooled its revenue drive strategy to ensure that some of their customers with huge debts would pay up.
The affected customers in question also include those who have issues of non-payment of bills, underpayment of bills, meter bye-passing, the use of illicit meters and other forms of energy theft.
Read Also: IEA Declares That Africa Needs $25bn For Full Electricity Access
The IBEDC in a statement signed by John Ayodele who is the Chief Operating Officer of the Company (COO) had also appealed to customers with huge outstanding bills to pay up to avoid any kind of interruption due to the ongoing mass disconnection exercise.
“We are retooling our revenue drive strategy to ensure that the monies that have been left uncollected through huge debts, non-payment of bills, underpayment of bills, meter bye-passing, use of illicit meters and energy theft are raked in to enable us to meet our obligations to the customers and the market operators”.
Ayodele said IBEDC is embarking on a mass disconnection exercise, because of payment apathy by customers, which is adversely affecting quality service delivery.
“As we all know there has been a major drop in the electricity generated across the country that has invariably caused the reduced power supply to our valued customers; this drop in generation from the GENCOs is also traceable to their inability to pay for gas, which is denominated in dollars.
“When customers do not pay for electricity consumed, it has a ripple effect, as we cannot service the electricity value chain.
The Chief Operating Officer had also urged some of their customers with disputed bills to lodge their complaints at the nearest IBEDC Office to seek redress or adjustments in cases where the claims are genuine and verifiable.