50 per cent of our bills are not paid, IBEDC decries

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) is set to embark on enumeration of its customers and assets with a view to addressing issues of crazy billing, inadequate meters and bill payment bypass.

According to Managing Director, IBEDC, Mr John Donnachie, the exercise became imperative owing to huge bad debt incurred from about 50 per cent of electricity consumers, especially government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, not paying their bills.

Donnachie, who spoke when he led other members of the IBEDC management to Oyo Governor’s office, Ibadan, on Monday, added that the exercise was to correctly know its customers’ reach and service effectiveness.

The enumeration, he said, would cover number of lines, poles, substations, meters, transformers.

“We need to identify, talk to our customers and understand what we have to do to improve our service. We know, unfortunately, that about 50 percent of our bills do not get paid. We have a major problem with bad debt. Government, Ministries, Departments, Agencies make up a huge part of this debt.”

“A lot of customers bypass paying their bills or they are not metered. We believe that 1.5 million customers are supporting 1.5 million other customers. We need to know who is paying for what. There is also the issue of crazy billing. We need to understand what we have to do to improve,” Donnachie said.

He assured that the exercise would make the IBEDC more market oriented, translating into better service delivery.

In welcoming the IBEDC team, Governor Abiola Ajimobi harped on the need for the electricity company to provide much improved and efficient service, coupled with new products and special payment arrangements with its customers.

He admonished the IBEDC not to hesitate to cut off indebted government MDAs.

Ajimobi also charged the electricity distribution company to enlighten Nigerians on being wont to free service.