BEDC Denies Marginalisation, Blames Poor Supply on the National Grid.
BEDC Electricity Plc denied on Thursday that it is attempting to marginalize its Edo State electricity customers.
Mrs Evelyn Gbiwen, the company’s Head of Branding and Corporate Communications, refuted the claim in a statement released to journalists in Benin.
Recall that the Edo People Against the Oppressive Tendencies of BEDC had previously accused the company of marginalising its customers in the state, and as a result, it was given two weeks to improve its service delivery to the people or face mass unrest.
Mrs Gbiwen clarified that the epileptic power supply is not deliberate, but rather a direct result of power allocation from the national grid.
“BEDC Electricity Plc would like to sincerely inform our esteemed customers about the power supply experienced throughout our franchise States,” Gbiwen said.
“In our franchise areas, the company observed a decline in the quality of the electricity supply, which has affected homes, businesses, healthcare facilities, and socioeconomic activities. “It is important to clarify that the current outage and load shedding being experienced are not deliberate actions by BEDC, but a direct result of power allocation from the national grid.”
The company’s Head of Branding and Corporate Communications stated that they are working with all stakeholders to provide improved services to all of their customers in the shortest amount of time.
She added that BEDC has seen a decrease in power allocation from the national grid, necessitating careful load management and distribution to all categories of customers in accordance with the service level agreement across service bands. She also mentioned that, contrary to allegations in some quarters, the situation is not intended to oppress its valued customers in Edo State or any other part of its network.
She maintained that, historically and currently, Edo State accounts for a significant portion of BEDC’s total daily energy allocation, which is distributed to customers in Edo State via BEDC’s three regions. She emphasized that the current supply challenge is a national phenomenon affecting distribution companies across the country, resulting from grid constraints beyond BEDC’s control, and that, as part of its commitment to service improvement and transparency, the company is intensifying its metering drive to eliminate estimated billing and boost customer confidence, particularly in daily load management caused by low energy allocation.
According to her, “Customers currently have three metering options: Meter Asset Provider (MAP), Meter Asset Fund (MAF), and Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) meters.
“The MAF and DISREP schemes are completely free for customers in Bands A, B, and C across our four states of operation. These efforts are intended to improve billing accuracy, increase accountability, and build customer trust in our operations. We encourage customers to report any individual requesting money to install free meters via our various channels.
“The management of BEDC remains committed to transparent communication with stakeholders, fair and equitable energy distribution, aggressive metering rollout, power infrastructure protection, and ongoing engagement with all stakeholders. We appreciate our customers’ patience, understanding, and cooperation, and we assure the public that we are doing everything possible within our operational capacity to mitigate the impact of the current supply shortage.”
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