Enugu Businesses Count Losses as Poor Power Supply Persists

Business owners in Enugu State have appealed to MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL) to address the poor electricity supply, saying it is hurting their operations.

operators of electricity-dependent businesses said the irregular supply had forced them to rely on generators, which they described as too costly to run profitably.

Osita Ogbodo, a welder at New Market, Enugu, said the cost of gas for his large generator was too high, leaving him to work only when there was power.

“Recently, we started having irregular power supply. If I use my generator, I make no profit. Customers don’t agree to pay,” he said, urging the company to fix the problem.

A pub operator, Osita Omeke, said that even when power is supplied, it can hardly sustain his refrigerators. He said he sells perishable goods and has recorded heavy losses as a result.

“The cost of running businesses is too high, yet unconsumed electricity bills continue to be imposed on us,” he said.

Sheddy Ozomba, a resident of Trans-Ekuku, accused the distribution company of insensitivity to customers’ plight. He said bills were recently distributed and some lines disconnected despite the poor service.

“If customers pay them from what they generate from their electricity-dependent businesses, how feasible is it?” he asked, insisting that prepaid meters should be made readily available to end what he called cheating.

MEDL Responds

Meanwhile, MEDL has attributed the reduced supply in Enugu State to a drop in power generation.

In a statement issued in Enugu, its Head of Communications, Mr Emeka Ezeh, said the decline in generation led to low system frequency, which prompted the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to introduce load shedding.

He said this reduced the energy allocated to the distribution company, leaving MEDL unable to meet its daily service-level commitments to customers.

The company said it would continue to share its available allocation fairly across its network and expressed hope that normal supply would return soon, though it gave no timeline.

“MEDL wishes to assure its customers that it is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to distribute the available energy allocation fairly across its network,” Ezeh said.