HOW TO ENSURE SAFE AND CONTINOUS POWER SUPPLY.

• STOP DOUBLE FEEDING ON ELECTRICITY LINES.

You double feed when you take supply from two different
transformers substation to the same premises at the same time.
Most people who do this do not realize the harm and the damage
this causes.
It has caused the electrocution of Electric Utility workmen
It has caused the total breakdown of transformers substations
causing total darkness in some localities
It has caused dangerous voltage in some place destroying
appliances.
It is a very good catalyst for fire out-break
Another hazardous practice very similar to this is when electric
generator is connected directly to the mains House wiring
without an effective change-over switch. This is explained more
under the Generators section pg----

ENSURE PROPER ISOLATING DEVICES FROM THE MAINS POWER
SUPPLY ARE IN PLACE AND EASILY ACCESIBLE.
Many people just connect supply from the pole without ensuring
that standard Cut . out fuses are provided in easily accessible
position. Should there be a problem that could make the incoming
supply undesirable; the point of isolation from such supply should
be easily reached.
Also on the basis of cost implication most people do not appreciate
the need for fused or mcb.s distribution boards for household
wiring. This is wrong and should be corrected.

• AVOID IMPROPERLY TERMINATED CONNECTIONS.
It is a common eyesore these days to see quack and unqualified
personnel connect supply lines, cables and electrical circuit without
properly securing such, tightly. You can even see some of these
people use a stick to remove a line from one phase to another or
just patch up a connection once power supply becomes available.
This abnormality is one of the major ingredients for voltage
fluctuations, electrical arcing and fire outbreak. It also does harm
to connected appliances

• AVOID USING SUBSTANDARD ELECTRICAL MATERIALS.
Money spent on sub-standard electrical materials, end up going
down the drain and you end having to pay all over again at higher
cost because of damage such materials would have caused. When
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it comes to selection of electrical fittings and gadgets, please do
not .economize., because in doing so, you shortchange yourself and
open up your installation to deadly risks.

• NEVER USE AN UNDERSIZED CABLE
When you begin to feel your cable grow continuously warm and
getting hot, know that that heat is also energy being wasted and
you are paying for it. So if the cable is expected to deliver 100W of
electricity but it is becoming unduly hot in the process know that
more energy is being used up.
Secondly, the insulation of such a cable begins to break down and
such cable should be replaced with another one of higher capacity
to avoid disaster.

BENEFITS OF A PREPAID METER

Thank God, the prepaid metering scheme is now in the

country. Rather than rejecting the meter, please accept them

and replace all existing analog meters with these. The prepaid

meters gives the following benefits:

• No one needs to read your meter before you are billed.

• You don.t need to search for or wait for your energy bill

again.

• You can determine and control how much you spend on

monthly electricity bill.

• As long as the meter is not tampered with (and you

wouldn.t do such because it is a crime to do so) you have

no business entertaining PHCN official in your place.

• No one dare threaten you with disconnection notices and

attempts. The fear of getting back home and meeting

your electricity supply line disconnected from the pole is

over.

• No need for fear of theft as the meters are programmed

for every customer uniquely.

• What more, you can even purchase in your name even

when you are in a rented apartment .cos the meter can

be transferred when you move to another location

without stress. Just inform the Utility company and let

everything be done formally and according to procedure.

• When power fails the meter doesn.t bill you, and as long

as electric supply is off, your money is not deducted

• The cost of acquiring the meters can also be spread

across months, making it easier for you to purchase. This

is an arrangement though for customers who are

receiving bills but have no meters installed due to theft,

damage or unavailability of the meters in the past

UNDERSTANDING YOUR ELECTRICITY BILL

I have come to discover that we need to start from the basics before we can really begin to talk about solving the power problem in Nigeria. So I begin this by carefully looking at what makes up the power supply bill.

Yes, the first step is to ensure you are on the Utility billing system

(in this case PHCN). Some people think they are smart when they

prefer bribing officials rather than getting and settling their

electricity bills, if only they know how much they are being shortchanged!

Many people who even have a bill just collect it and only consider

the "PAY TOTAL DUE NOW", then complain that NEPA or PHCN is

wicked. Do you really understand how your electricity bill is

structured? Let.s consider that now.

WHAT ARE THE INFORMATION ON YOUR BILL

1. Account No

This is the number that your Utility company (PHCN) gives to

you and it is peculiar to you alone. However, if you stay in a

building of several apartments owned by a single Landlord, the

different bills may carry the same name but the account

numbers will be different.

Hence, you need to identify and make sure you make payment

on the bill that bears only YOUR OWN ACCOUNT NUMBER.

2. Name

This is the name of the account(s) holder

3. Service Address.

This is address of the place being billed.

4. Due Date

Date reflecting the point up to which you are being billed from

the previous month

5. Meter No

The serial number on your energy meter.

6. ADC

Average Daily Consumption

7. DIALS

The number of digits that will be read from your meter

8. Previous balance

Outstanding debt/credit from the previous month

9. Adjustment

Adjustments made on your bills by the Utility company to correct

either under-billing or over-billing

10. Net Arrears

The Outstanding balance after the necessary adjustments have

been made.

11. Description

This determines what you are being charged for an a monthly

basis and is as follows:

I. ENERGY

II. FIXED

III. METER MAINT

ENERGY

This is computed from the following parameters:

a. Tariff Code- this determines the rates on which your bill will

be based and is basically structured into four parts for non-

MD customers:

• Single Phase Residential Tariff -------------- R1 or R2

• Three Phase Residential Tariff --------------- R3

• Single Phase Commercial Tariff--------------C1

• Three Phase Commercial Tariff---------------C2

These are the basic categories available, though there might be

some other subdivision as determined by the utility company for

certain areas.

So check your bill, are you placed on the right tariff. If You are a

Single Phase Residential Customer and instead of R1 or R2 you

have C1 on your bills, then it means you are being billed higher

than what you are using, because C1 is for commercial

customers and has a higher rate than R1 & R2.

b. Read Date

Shows the date the present readings recorded on bill was taken

c. Present Reading

Shows your meter reading against the date as recorded by your

utility company

d. Previous Reading

Shows your Meter reading for the preceding month

e. Multiplier

The multiplying factor which essentially would have a value of 1

as long as the accuracy of your Energy meter is not in doubt

f. Consumption

This is the difference between the Present and Previous readings

multiplied by the multiplier to give the value of the total units of

electric energy used for the month

g. Current Charges

Is the product of the Consumption above and applicable Tariff

rate

FIXED

This is the fixed charges the electric utility charges monthly as

long as you remain a customer of the company. It does varies

for the various tariff structures but it is fixed.

METER MAINT

This is also another fixed charge that PHCN introduced some

couple of years back. Though many people have queried the

introduction, as the meter maintenance services it is supposedly

meant for, is never carried out and customers still pay for

Energy Meters, the METER MAINT still remains on the bill and

presently fixed on N100 and N500 for single and three phase

customers respectively.

12. OTHERS

The other vital details on the bill include:

LAR- last actual readings which gives the readings and date your

Meter was physically read and the readings used in the

processing of your bill.

Your tariff structure rate

Reconnection fee, if your supply is disconnected as a result of

default in bill settlement.