Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) improved collections the most in 2021 but also recorded the most complaints from customers, according to new data reflecting the inability of the sector to meet the yearnings of customers for better service.
IKEDC was the top runner with ₦113.1 billion while EKEDC and AEDC took the second and third position with ₦87.5 million and ₦85.2 million respectively, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said in a report released December 29.
On the other hand, Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) sits bottom with ₦6.9 million collections this year.
Ikeja Electric raised collections to over N113 billion last year with Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) joining it to make the top performing Discos in terms of collection, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Meanwhile, the second-quarter report from the regulator also said that IKEDC, the top performer in terms of the collection has the poorest customers’ satisfaction record with over 6,831 unresolved complaints compared to EKEDC’s 1,525 and AEDC’s 1,286.
According to the report by NERC, the 11 Discos in the country received 241,476 complaints from customers in the second quarter (Q2) of 2021, which is 1.91 per cent more than those received in the first quarter (Q1) of the year, and this amount to an average of 2,653 complaints per day.
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However, the Discos were able to attend to 230,169 of those complaints, representing an increase of 1.91 per cent point over Q1. This indicates a 95.32 per cent Complaints resolution rate representing the proportion of all complaints received by all Discos during Q2 of 2021 that were successfully resolved.
However, it is worth noting that Yola has maintained the lowest number of customer complaints since 2019/Q2. This is most likely due to the region’s security situation, which makes access to forum offices more difficult, especially in a Disco with a dispersed customer base and limited access to online complaint options.
Furthermore, the report indicated that metering, service interruption, and incorrect billings were the three most common complaint items reported by Discos during the second quarter of 2021. The three issues accounted for 58.66 per cent of all complaints received.
In other words, during the quarter, all Discos received a total of 1,556 customer complaints relating to metering, service interruption, and incorrect billings.
As previously reported by NERC, these same ticket items (namely: metering, service interruption, and incorrect billing) dominated customer complaints in the second quarter of 2021, accounting for 56.02 per cent of all customer complaints.
The observed 1.91 percentage point increase in the rate of customer complaints could be attributed to increased customer awareness as a result of the Service-Based Tariff (SBT), estimated tariff capping, and National mass metering program.
“Service disconnection, voltage fluctuation, and load shedding were also major concerns for customers, accounting for 12.97 per cent (31,318), 12.14 percent (29,326), and 7.55 per cent (18,228) of total customer complaints during the second quarter.
