Customers shouldn’t foot bill for damaged transformers or meters — MD First Power

The Managing Director of First Power Company Limited, Engr. Okechukwu Okafor, said that the organization does not authorize any staff to collect money from customers for the replacement of damaged transformers, cables, meters, or any other facilities.

According to him, there is no circumstance under which First Power will demand that customers pay to replace any damaged transformer, cable, or meter.
He said that such facilities are the property of the company, and it is solely the company’s responsibility to carry out repairs or replacements when necessary.
He, however, noted that in situations where a community cannot wait for the company to act, such a community may voluntarily assist in replacing damaged facilities.
He made this statement on Wednesday during the First Power Electricity Distribution Company Limited (FPEDC) Customer Engagement Forum held in Awka, Anambra State.
He reiterated that First Power will never ask customers to pay for the repair or replacement of transformers or other facilities, stressing that such actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. He urged customers to report any staff member who demands money for such services.
“Report anyone who demands money to replace damaged First Power facilities, and I will sack him. We will not tolerate this anymore,” he said.
He thanked all those present at the forum and described the relationship between First Power and its customers as symbiotic.
According to him, both the company and its customers depend on each other for survival.
“As First Power, we wish to improve our communication with the people,” he added.
He disclosed that the energy supply received in Anambra dropped by 45 percent in December, with only slight improvement recorded in January.
He further explained that First Power operates at the end of the electricity value chain and is responsible for collecting revenue for the entire sector. According to him, the funds collected by the company are used to support generation, transmission, and distribution.
“In the entire power value chain, it is only the distribution companies (DisCos) that collect revenue. If we do not fund generation and transmission, there will be no power. Where we cannot fund the chain, there will be no electricity,” he said.
He also stated that the Federal Government introduced the Band A, B, and C tariff system with the expectation that customers in A would pay more to subsidize others.
Speaking on estimated billing, he challenged customers who wish to obtain prepaid meters to apply, assuring them that installation would be carried out within three weeks.
According to him, First Power currently has about 5,000 prepaid meters available for deployment in Anambra State.
On energy losses during transmission, he explained that some level of energy loss is unavoidable. As a result, the company does not bill customers for 100 percent of the energy received.
“We know that energy is lost during transmission, and because of that, we do not bill customers at 100 percent. We bill at about 85 to 90 percent, removing the expected losses before billing,” he said.
Meanwhile, customers who spoke at the event urged First Power to address the issue of estimated billing. They stated that they are not asking for free electricity but want to be billed based on actual consumption.