There’s a popular saying that the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know, but with the way electricity consumers complain about ‘NEPA’ not giving them light, it proves they don’t even know their devils.
Since the Nigerian electricity sector does not seem to have any particular ‘angel’ at the moment, you would think that consumers are at least familiar with their ‘devils’ (the Distribution Companies). Electricity consumers still refer to NEPA as being responsible for supply; completely unaware of the Distribution Companies (DisCos) and their franchise areas.
This oblivion is the major cause of the poor DisCo-consumer relationship in the value chain. With customers not knowing their DisCos, many issues arise, including customers’ lackadaisical attitude towards electricity sector issues, customers not knowing their rights, customers not aware of complaint redress mechanisms.
So why say the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know when you don’t even know your alleged devil. Activities such as The Electricity Hub’s Consumer Engagement Programmes have helped educate electricity consumers across the country on issues critical to the value chain. These engagement Programmes consist of forums and dialogues between Distribution Companies and consumers and cover a wide range of electricity sector issues such as consumers’ franchise areas, the Order on the Capping on Estimated Billing, tariff bands, consumer rights and responsibilities, among others.
A more informed consumer base gives room for improvement in the sector, ensured accountability is demanded from the DisCos, and allows for the proper redressing of issues across distribution service units. Essentially, consumers should know their Distribution Companies so issues can be directed properly. After all, the devil you know…