By Mokwugwo Solomon, Awka

The management of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) has decried the increasing rate at which some of its customers engage in acts of energy theft, especially meter bypass.

In a release at the weekend, the Head, Corporate Communication of the company, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, described the development as consistently impacting negatively on the revenue of the company, and ultimately affecting its ability to meet up with its obligations to the market operators.

He recounted the recent apprehension of one of the company’s maximum demand customers by its task force team, for involving in meter bypass.

According to the EEFC spokesman, the said customer, simply identified as Nkemjika Industry Limited, totally bypassed the meter installed in its facility, and directly connected the armoured cables from the mains to the factory, a situation that kept the meter idle while the customer was busy consuming energy.

"The customer, a third time offender in meter bypass, is in the habit of downing tools during the day (giving the impression of low business activity) only to resume full operations at night when EEDC officials must have all closed for the day. Luck, however ran out on them when they were busted and caught in the act by the task force," he added.

Ezeh lamented increasing rate at which the company’s high energy consuming customers are engaging in such act of sabotage, stressing that there is need to nip the trend in the board.

"Another customer identified as Princess Guest House, based at Ikenegbu Extension, Owerri, was also apprehended the fourth time for engaging in meter tampering and illegal reconnection.

"Another one, Arizona Industries Limited, located at Emene Industrial Layout, Emene, Enugu, was also caught thrice for engaging in meter tampering, and insertion of resistors on all the phases behind the meter board.

“If this growing trend is not abated, the sector will continue to feel the negative impact of these infractions”, Ezeh said.

In a related development, according to Eze, at Woliwo area of Onitsha, Anambra State, a prepaid meter connected to No. 31 Oguta Road, Onitsha, was bypassed. When discovered by the team of task force, one of the occupants of the building identified as Elizabeth Megafu, resisted the team from disconnecting the building, threatening them with cutlass. It took the intervention of the police to eventually carry out the disconnection.

"Meter bypass accounts for the huge losses recorded by the distribution companies and this largely impacts negatively on the growth of the power sector. There is, therefore, the need for perpetrators to desist from this criminal act which is undermining the power sector.

“The company has been investing in its network infrastructure and working assiduously to consistently improve its operations to deliver quality service to its customers; but this cannot be sustained if customers continued to sabotage these efforts,” he added.

Ezeh appealed to those customers engaging in such act to desist from such as, according to him, the task force team would continue to be on the lookout for offenders, and when caught, appropriate sanctions would be applied.

"Customers are also encouraged to report anyone engaging in such act through the established Whistle Blowing platforms: 0814 602 6678, 084 700 110, and ethics@enugudisco.com