Electricity consumers under the Port Harcourt Electricity Distributions Company, PHED have condemned in totality the recent change that brought about new bill collection agent without adequate public information, thereby creating huge tension and difficulty in payment of bills, both for pre-paid and post-paid consumers.
The payment system became worse when numerous costumers within the PHED platform were unable to recharge their bills through the system agents operating within their locations in the coverage areas of the PHED which include Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa and Cross Rivers.
But, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital monitored by our reporter, hordes of customers besieged the Rumuola office of the distribution company early Monday morning to either make payments or seek clarifications about related issues.
However, some of the consumers on queue expressed dissapoinment over what they described as costumers’ aloofness. They criticized PHED for poor information management that left costumers behind in the scheme of things.
Speaking on the development, Mr. Kelly Osioma stated that after checking on agents to recharge his pre-paid meter, he was told there was network failure by the operators. “I am here because none of the agents could recharge my meter. And, I have been on the queue with only two female staff available to serve us. I don’t know when it would be my turn whereas I need to report to the office. I am surprised they had such plans to introduce new payment agent without considering the immediate effects on costumers. They need to be pro-active by setting up a reasonable number of bill payment centers to address the issue of crowd build up around one facility.”
Another costumer who craved anonymity narrated how she and her family members were thrown into darkness for three days without electricity as a result of introduction of new bill collection agent. She advised the PHED management to consider options before going public with any reform.
Meanwhile, a senior official of the PHED who pleaded anonymity confirmed the change that took place recently in which EasyPay International was hired as the new electricity bill collection agent to ensure easy payment of electricity bills in the four states covered by PHED. The official said that, with EasyPay as the accredited agent, customers will enjoy online real-time notification and including reconciliation of customer account, apart from easy recharge of both the prepay meter system.
