No less than 572,392 consumers will receive meters within the next two years across BEDC Electricity Plc. (BEDC) franchise areas covering Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti state under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme. The breakdown according to BEDC, is as follows: Edo, 190,000 meters, Delta; 200,200 meters, Ekiti; 67,452 meters and Ondo; 114740 meters respectively.
Executive Director, Commercial, Abu Ejoor made this known during while unveiling the MAP scheme held across the coverage areas in Benin, Asaba, Ado-Ekiti and Akure, stressing that in taking off, MAP will initially have up to three months of build-up roll out, which will eventually pick up with expected increase in monthly rate, across its franchise areas.
Ejoor disclosed that in Edo state, BEDC was taking off in two major locations; GRA to Ihama in Benin City and Okpela in Auchi North, adding that customers should cooperate with enumerators going around various locations in Edo and respond promptly to request for completion of enumeration forms.
Speaking on current power reality in Edo state, the Executive Director affirmed that 44 percent of BEDC’s power allocation of 9 percent from the national grid comes to Edo state, hinting that average of 86,061MW of electricity is delivered to the state monthly. He added that about 14 percent of power generated is lost due to poor network infrastructure, saying work was ongoing to improve the network, adding “about 36% of power generated is lost through commercial theft or illegal consumption and non-payment of bills. About 30% of power supplied to households are wasted due to inefficient management of use.”
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Ejoor equally informed journalists that the 132KV breaker of the 15MVA transformer at Okpella Transmission Station has been replaced with the transformer back to service.
“The 1 No 40MVA TCN transformer substation in Auchi is close to completion as the work on the control room has progressed. BEDC has already completed the construction of the associated 33KV lines in readiness to pick load once the project is realized”, he added.
“MAP will carry out meter roll-out location by location, route by route, street by street, while enumeration is a prerequisite for meters to be provided under MAP”, he declared, saying, that in Edo state, rollout of meters would be handled by three of its MAP parties, namely FLT, G-Unit Engineering and Turbo Energy.
According to Mr. Ejoor, customers are required to complete the customer data and survey form, after which the MAP officials will assess the customer’s premises in readiness for metering, adding “once a customer premises is cleared, he will be advised on how to pay for the meter, whether single phase or three phase.”
For Delta State customers, he said that the scheme was taking off in Asaba and will eventually move to all local government locations in the state. According to him, some of the locations flagged for take-off of MAP within Asaba Township include NTA road, behind NTA, behind Government House, Amechi Iyio Way, Anwai road, Infant Jesus axis, Borrow Pit community and Ibuzo town road.
Also speaking, Chief State Head, Delta, Engr. Fidelis Obishai disclosed that in view of the failed 2x150MVA 330/132kv power transformers in Asaba Transmission station, customers were being presently fed from Onitsha, adding that available power is however 30MW as against 100MW required.
Obishai equally lamented that due to the faulty 1x60MVA power transformer in Effurun, due to undersized conductors heavy load management is taking place in Effurun, Warri, PTI and Sapele axis of the state.
