The Management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) said it has retooled its revenue drive strategy to ensure that customers with huge debts pay up.

The affected customers include those with the issues of non-payment of bills, underpayment of bills, meter bye-passing, use of illicit meters and energy theft.

The IBEDC in a statement signed by the Chief Operating Officer of the Company (COO), John Ayodele, appealed to customers with huge outstanding bills to pay up to avoid any kind of interruption due to the ongoing mass disconnection exercise.

“We are retooling our revenue drive strategy to ensure that the monies that have been left uncollected through huge debts, non-payment of bills, underpayment of bills, meter bye-passing, use of illicit meters and energy theft are raked in to enable us to meet our obligations to the customers and the market operators”.

Ayodele said IBEDC is embarking on a mass disconnection exercise, because of payment apathy by customers, which is adversely affecting quality service delivery.

“As we all know there has been a major drop in the electricity generated across the country that has invariably caused the reduced power supply to our valued customers; this drop in generation from the GENCOs is also traceable to their inability to pay for gas, which is denominated in dollars.

“When customers do not pay for electricity consumed, it has a ripple effect, as we cannot service the electricity value chain.

The Chief Operating Officer urged customers with disputed bills to lodge their complaints at the nearest IBEDC Office to seek redress or adjustments in cases where the claims are genuine and verifiable.

He pleaded with customers to obtain their meters under the Meter Asset Provider Scheme (MAP) to put a stop to disputes over billing.