MEET THE STAFF SERIES

To Check Energy Theft, we Should Visit every Customer Weekly - Sidi B. Abubakar 

CCD: Tell us a bit about yourself? 

SBA: I am Sidi Baba Abubakar, 

I was born and raised in Kaduna State. A graduate of Computer Engineering from Kaduna polytechnic.

                        

CCD: What are your Primary Responsibilities?

SBA:Our primary responsibility of the Enforcement Teams is to ensure that pre-paid customers do not compromise or bypass their meters; our is to protect the Company’s revenue. This comes in many forms such as preventing customers from stealing energy or minimizing energy theft and ensuring that all revenue due to the Company is paid to the Company’s coffer accordingly. We also provide assistance to other Units and Departments in ensuring that all electricity users in our franchise are placed on correct tariff class and are properly billed, etc. These and many more we do in other to reduce the Company’s Aggregate Technical, Commercial & Collection,  (ATC & C) Losses.

CCD: What are the challenges you encounter in the course of your assignment?

SBA: We face many challenges in the course of our work, but we manage to overcome them all the time by using what is available at hand to do the job but we need more. We lack professional training in identifying technical issues and as you know we are in the 21st century, virtual every tool or equipment is upgraded, e.g. the PPM meter we monitor are very effective and efficient, moreover most of us that have engineering background we found it difficult in dealing with Customers.  You know a customer is a king, you have to be courteous even when reprimanding him/her for engaging in an illegal act.

CCD: What plan or strategy you think can be use to tackle those challenges?

SBA: Well, this is very interesting part that I would like the management to look into and think critically to end energy loss. As we all know, integrity is one of the core values of the Company and an important determinant in the success of any organization. As such, I wish to make the following modest suggestion.

 i- Staff Recognition 

ii- Incentives and bonus

iii) Training and Re-training of Staff especially we in the field that deal with both technical and commercial issues, we are too exposed to the best practices in all sides.

iv- Adequate funding to field Staff

v– Provision of necessary PPEs, Tools and Equipment.

 For example, when a staff catch a customer on bypass, he should be given 5% of the total pay. With this, everyone will put much interest in reporting any case, but at times staff overlook such cases. Mileage should be given to Marketers to encourage them to discharge their responsibility effectively. As we know, marketing is the driving force, if not the heart of the Company. We have seen situations where a marketer is given bills to share but could not share all, we know is clear sabotaging of the company policy. 

CCD: What are the different penalties for energy theft?

SBA: Energy theft varies, depending on the Customer we have on PPM Bypass they are classified as:

 I) INTERNAL BYEPASS.

II) EXTERNAL BYEPASS

The above penalty charges differs base on customer. We have Postpaid theft, this occur when a Customer using energy without bill or formal arrangement with Kaduna Electric e.g. welder that comes to work for a day you will find out that he will choose to hang the wire and work, or a shop owner who connects without notifying Kaduna Electric officials, they will be charged according to their consumption.

The formula remain the same, the most important thing is load. When the load reading is carried out with the clamp meter, we use it to ascertain and calculate the loss of revenue and attach the penalty base on the company policy.

CCD: With the current global pandemic situation, what protective measures do you use in carrying your official duty?

SBA: We use protective measures in dealing with our customers and we make use of the PPEs available, maintain social distancing and we create awareness to our customers to vend or pay their bill online.

CCD: Any appeal or suggestion to staff or management?

SBA: My Suggestion and appeal to Management staff is treat the above issues professionally especially no 4. I think it will motivate and reduce any discrepancy that lead to loss of revenue. Moreover, the Company should reinforces it networks and increase supply of power to other customers, we should make meters priority and available to all our Staff. All Customers need to be monitored weekly and Postpaid Customers should be made to pay up to Current Charges and pay some from their debt.