The Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) says it will distribute 130,000 meters free to customers in Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe and Borno states in 2017.
The Company Secretary, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, disclosed this at a Customers Consultative and Enlightenment Forum in Jalingo on Thursday.
According to him, the company is taking its time to deliver the meters which are in good condition.
Mohammed advised customers to report any staff demanding payment for the meters, promising that such erring staff would be prosecuted.
He said that the company would conduct fresh customers’ enumeration in the zone to ascertain the current population.
Mohammed alleged that 75 per cent of the company’s customers were not paying their bills.
The scribe listed other challenges of the company to include vandalism of equipment, by-passing of meter, illegal connection and nonchalant attitude of customers to the company’s equipment.
He said the company, which was bought in 2013, organised the event to receive complaints from customers and find ways of tackling the challenges.
Mohammed said customers could also complain to the management through some available phone numbers and social networks like the Facebook and Twitter, among others.
The company scribe urged the customers to always pay their bills for better services, saying that the company relied on such payments to assist power generating companies.
Alhaji Mustapha Usman, Head of Marketing and Customer Care of YEDC, said the company had not increased tariff in 2017 because of recession and insurgency in the zone.
He said the company had 170,000 billable customers, while the total customer population of the company stood at between 250,000 and 300,000. (NAN)
NB/MNA/TA
