The Management of FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited (FPEDL) has received, on a courtesy visit, a delegation from the three constituent villages that make up Ifite Awka, which are Enu-Ifite, Ezinato and Agbana.
The visit held on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at the FirstPower Corporate Headquarters in Awka, Anambra State followed a formal request for engagement and inquiry on electricity supply and billing issues affecting customers on the Ifite-Awka Feeder.
The community leaders In their separate speeches, noted that since November 2025, electricity supply on the Ifite-Awka Feeder had dropped significantly from its previous Band A average of 20–24 hours daily to about 10 hours or less.
They expressed concern that despite this decline, electricity bills for December 2025 (covering November consumption) and January 2026 (covering December consumption) were estimated at N148,640.25 and N108,940 respectively, which they said were higher than the N100,219.56 charged during a period of stable Band A supply.
The leaders observed that the discrepancies had generated dissatisfaction and tension among residents, with growing hostility toward electricity marketers and feeder managers.
However, they emphasized that Ifite-Awka people are law-abiding and not disposed to violence or confrontation. They stated that the visit was borne out of wisdom, restraint, and commitment to dialogue, with the aim of seeking clarification, restoring confidence, and jointly exploring a fair and sustainable solution.
Responding, the FirstPower Management, represented by the Chief Technical Officer, Dr. Emeka Egbujor; Chief Commercial Officer, Dr. Nnenna Priscilla Obi; and Head, Customer Service, Mrs. Obianuju Okafor, thanked the delegation for choosing constructive engagement.
The team, delegated by the Managing Director, Okechukwu Okafor, apologized for the inconveniences experienced and clarified that the recent drop in supply was not an issue created by FirstPower nor peculiar to Anambra State.
The Management explained that the situation stemmed from load management challenges on the Mando–Shiroro transmission line, which significantly affected power allocation.
“Although the fault has been cleared and the transmission line restored earlier this week, it will take up to 72 hours for the system to attain full operational capacity and deliver improved stability comparable to previous levels. The team explained.
The FirstPower Management also provided updates on the ongoing maintenance at the Awada/Obosi 150MVA Transmission Station.
“Since the fault developed at the station, the Agu-Awka Injection Substation, which was previously fed from it, has been back-feeding from New Haven.
” This arrangement, while necessary to keep supply flowing, comes with a reduced quantum of power, thereby compounding constraints on customers connected to the affected feeder”. the team futher revealed.
The Management assured the delegation that once maintenance is concluded and full restoration achieved, the situation will normalize.
On billing concerns, FirstPower clarified that the Company does not bill customers arbitrarily or haphazardly. Energy delivered to each community is measured through the Distribution System (DS) meter installed at the transformer.
“At the end of every month, after subtracting the cost of energy units consumed by prepaid metered customers connected to the transformer (which they have already paid for because they are prepaid customers), the remaining recorded energy is systematically shared among postpaid customers.
“Billing is therefore based strictly on units of electricity consumed, and not necessarily based on the number of days power was supplied.” FirstPower maintained.
Explaining further, the Management stated that during periods of irregular supply, many customers tend to switch-on multiple high-consumption appliances simultaneously whenever electricity is restored, due to uncertainty about how long it will last and when next it will be restored if interrupted.
“This practice usually leads to heavy instantaneous load and accelerated consumption within short periods, which reflects on the transformer meter and ultimately on monthly bills. Consequently, through this practice and such accelerated heavy consumption within short periods, a household or community can consume within a few days the volume of electricity they would ordinarily use over a longer period when there is a steadier supply.”
The Company Management also dissected the impact of energy theft and meter bypass within communities and on customers, including those who see such things and overlook them. Illegal connections, night-time tapping, and bypass of prepaid meters increase the total energy recorded on the transformer’s DS meter. At the end of the billing cycle, the burden of that consumption is borne by bill-paying customers (those on post-paid).
FirstPower Management, during the meeting, urged residents to always expose and report such infractions when they see them, rather than keeping quiet. Overlooking energy theft ultimately results in higher shared bills for law-abiding consumers.
Notwithstanding these realities, FirstPower reaffirmed its commitment to fairness, transparency, and regulatory compliance. The Management clarified that in instances where service levels fall below approved standards and overbilling is established, necessary adjustments, refunds, or compensations are effected. These sometimes reflect as reduced arrears (for postpaid customers) or get credited to customer’s wallet (for prepaid customers).
Customers who feel dissatisfied with estimated billing were strongly encouraged to apply for prepaid meters to enable direct monitoring, transparency, and control over their electricity consumption.
While the delegation expressed satisfaction with the clarifications and responses provided to their inquiries, the meeting ended on a cordial and reassuring note, with both parties expressing commitment to sustained dialogue, mutual understanding, and cooperation.
FirstPower reiterated its dedication to quality service delivery, protection of its infrastructure, and strengthening trust and confidence with its customers across Anambra State.
Angel Network News (ANN) gathered that
the delegation, under the umbrella of IFITENATỌ Community, comprised both indigenes and non-indigenes of Ifite-Awka, and included the Chairman of Enu-Ifite Village, Chief Engr. Christian Anachuna; Chairman of Agbana Village, Chief Engr. Emeka Okoye; Chairman of Ezinato Village, Comrade Festus Uche Nwoye; Councilor representing Awka Ward 2, Hon. Engr. Ejike Ibegbunam; and former Chairman of Ezinato Village, Mr. Lawrence Okeke.
