The Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) says it has increase electricity supply to its franchise states including Delta and Edo in a bid to meet the power demands of its customers especially during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in the country.
It said it has also commenced the process of boosting the present grid power with additional power supply source through embedded generation to ensure power availability to its area of coverage.
BEDC in a statement on Thursday disclosed that the company has tacitly suspended the rotational load management schedule for power supply to some of customers, reason, it said why there had been constant power supply to most homes in its area of coverage.
BEDC assures customers that it shall continue to do its best to provide quality service across all its touch points by improving the availability of electricity supply to cushion the inconveniences onits esteemed customers whilst ensuring the safety of its workers.
According to it, “In Delta State, BEDC has extended power supply improvement to customers in some locations in Delta state including the state capital Asaba where areas like GRA, ANWAI ROAD, SUMMIT ROAD, Okpanam road, NTA and NNEBISI ROAD are all now enjoying improved electricity supply commercial, and James Hope/Agbor feeders who continue to enjoy 24hours electricity supply.
“BEDC customers in Warri (GRA) have their power supply boosted to a comfortable 18hours period; up from the initial mere 6hours they were used to.
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In Edo State,the following areas have increased power supply: In Benin, GRA, Ihama and Ugbor feeders have customers(e.g.in Gapiona etc)now enjoying 24hour daily power supply from the hitherto 12 and 10 hours of daily power availability.
“Those on Oluku feeder in Benin and Ihovbor town retained their 24hours daily power supply. Same 24hours daily power supply equally applies to customers on Egba feeder under Ikpoba Hill. Airport (commercial),Ehor, School (commercial) and commercial feeders are also on 24hours supply daily.
“Customers under Etete and Country Home feeders in GRA, Limit road and country home areas,have increase in their daily power availability from 10 to 15hours. Oko feeder in Benin Cityimproved from 12 to 15hours daily.
“Those on New Auchi feeders have increases to 15hours daily. Customers in Usen Okadahad their power availability increasing from 8 to 12hours. Availability to customers under Uromi/Ehor feeder also rose to 9hours from the old availability of 6hours.
The Edo North is not left out as: Auchi GRA and Jatau feeders’daily power availability increased from 10 to 15 hours respectively. Ighara improved from 6 to 15 hoursand feeders also rose to 9 hours from old availability of 6 hours.
“In Ekiti State areas; Customers in Agricfeeder (Agric, Mobil/Water, Moferere, Bangboye, Falana/Olujoda, Ajebandele, Covenant etc) respectively had their daily power supply doubled from 6 to 12hours. Customers in Ado-Ekiti under Basiri feeder(Basiri/ Textile, Bank Road, NTA/Judges qtrs. Olorunsogo, Betterlife, Iyin road etc)) had their power supply availability increased substantiallyto 15hours.
“Adebayo feeder customers (Fajuyi, State hospital, Opopogboro, Adebayo, Bawa, Iworoko road etc) in Ado Ekiti will also enjoy 12 hours supply. Odo-Ado feeder: Availability 12hours Coverage areas; ( Mathew, Odo Ado, Igirigiri, St. Paul, Poly Road, Immigration, etc).
“Okesha feeder: Availability 10hours Coverage areas; (Okesha, Okeila, Old garage, Housing, Afao Road etc). Ajilosun feeder: Availability 10hours Coverage areas; (GRA, Spotless, Ile-Abiye/ isato, Omisanjana, Irona, Ijigbo, Ajilosun etc).”
BEDC added that in Ondo State, the increased availability of power was also extended to customers in locations in Igbatoro feeders (Alagbaka Estate, Alagbaka Extension, El-Shaddai, Bajowa Street, Akin Akingbola Street, Afro-Stuff Housing Estate, Parliament Road, School of Nursing, which recorded a boost in daily power supply from 12 to 18hours.
“Customers in Alagbaka area of Akure (Oke Eda, Ala Quarters, Sijuade, Ilunla, Oluwatuyi Quarters, Hospital Road, St. Luke, Liberty Hospital Street) are presently delighted with the increase in their power supply period that has been extended to 15 hours from 9hours. Ijapo 11kV Feeder 15hrs (Ijapo Estate, Ijapo Extension, Omolere, Atibiti) from 9 hrs”, it said.
BEDC further explained that the increase “will be in force for now till the COVID 19 pandemic lockdown ebbs away, adding that however the increase could only be affected by technical faults or other untoward circumstances in the power value chain, but stressed that it will strive to rectify faults as quickly as possible.”
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“Customers are therefore advised to manage their energy consumption at this critical period to avoid accumulating huge bills that may be difficult to pay and appeal to them to continue to pay their bills using their various non-contact channels which include: Bank Mobile App, Web (Online) Payment *www.bedcpower.com,*www.quickteller.com and Authorized Neighborhood Collection Agents (CNP) via POS to ensure sustenance of the initiative,” management said further.
The increase in power supply to some areas was made possible due the shutdown of commercial and industrial activities with the limited power normally utilized by these class of customers now redirected for residential use. A spokesperson from BEDC further clarified that “the national grid remains the major constraint to BEDC increase in power supply as it is what we get from the grid that we distribute to all sectors in our network”
In another development, BEDC management hinted that it has already commenced the process of augmenting the power available to its customers through actualizing its proposal for embedded power under the willing buyer, willing seller arrangement with independent power generators outside the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) national grid.
To this end, it disclosed that the numerous applications from prospective parties have gone through the first stage screening whilst the next stage of selection process will commence soon.
“Those deemed successful will be created into clusters where power generated and upgraded infrastructure could be connected to customers. This will be under the willing buyer and willing seller arrangement on a full cost pass through commercial basis with 24/7 power availability at premium pricing”, the statement added.
