By Our correspondent
Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), Dr Ernest Mupwaya, says the company is committed to improving customers’ experience and ensuring constant power supply in the South-East.
Mupwaya said this in an address during EEDC Customers Town-Hall Meeting held in Enugu on Friday.
He noted that EEDC’s mission extends beyond merely providing electricity; as the company strives to ensure that its services exceed customers’ expectations and significantly enhance their daily lives and businesses.
According to him, achieving this mission is impossible without a solid foundation of transparent and constructive engagement with you, our valued customers, as well as our commitment to nurturing an environment of open communication.
“In promoting efficient two-way communication; your feedback is the lifeblood of our operations. This meeting serves as a platform for you to share your experiences, concerns, and suggestions, enabling us to listen, understand, and act upon them.
“A seamless partnership between EEDC and our customers is vital for efficient operations. We aim to address and resolve any challenges that may impede our business interactions, ensuring a smoother experience for everyone involved.
“Transparency and honesty are the cornerstones of trust. We are dedicated to fostering a relationship based on these principles, with the goal of earning and retaining your loyalty.
“Your contributions today will significantly influence our strategies and initiatives. By comprehending your needs and expectations, we can customize our services to better serve you.
“In our pursuit of excellence, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our services. I would like to highlight two key initiatives,” he said.
The EEDC boss said that the company understands the importance of addressing customer complaints promptly and effectively; adding that it had established a clear and accessible procedure for lodging and resolving complaints.
“Our customer service team is trained and equipped to handle your concerns efficiently, ensuring that your issues are addressed to your satisfaction,” he added.
The EEDC Chief Technical Officer, Mr Vincent Ekwekwu, apologised to customers for the poor power supply experienced across the network, explaining that it was as a result of the gas constraint, which had impacted the performance of the generation companies.
“This impacts the energy allocation EEDC is getting from the grid and further affects the hours of supply our customers get. However, it is not a hopeless situation and it is being looked into by the Federal Government.
“I appeal to customers to desist from paying for repairs of electricity infrastructure within their neighbourhood, and advised them to report to our office anytime there is fault,” he said.
Speaking, the Head Health, Safety and Environment in EEDC, Dr Francis Iwu, stressed on safety issues while encouraging customers to use electricity properly to avoid losing their lives.
Iwu regretted the rate at which people build their houses and carry out business activities under high tension lines, an act that has claimed so many lives.
The Head Corporate Communications of EEDC, Mr Emeka Ezeh, enlightened customers on the ongoing Standard Transfer Specification (STS) prepaid meter upgrade and encouraged customers to upgrade their meters so they do not lose them, adding: “Meter upgrade is free-of-charge and at no cost to customers.”
During response/feedback, a customer, Chief Ben Ezeibe, commended EEDC for the good work it had been doing despite the numerous challenges, while urging the company to work at providing prepaid meters to customers and end to estimated billing.
Another customer, Mr Innocent Obodo, appealed to the company to continue training its field staff to be more courteous in relating with customers.
Mr Joe Aneke, a customer from Abakpa-Nike area of Enugu, complained of poor electricity supply and high bills, noting that the economy is biting hard and they are finding it difficult to survive.
