The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has promised better days for consumers of public power supply as the 21 licensed independent power producers get set to operate their licences.

NERC's Commissioner for Government and Consumer Affairs, Dr. Grace Eyoma disclosed this on Tuesday in Benin at a one-day forum for electricity consumers and distribution companies in the Benin zone. But she said consumers must take advantage of the customer complaints units that have been set up across the country to either express their support or misgivings about the state of power supply,

Most of the corporate and household customers that attended the forum complained about the poor distribution network of the PHCN, and one of the speakers, Chief Nosakhare Ishekure, the chief priest of Benin, said it was sad that citizens could not go to court to claim damages against PHCN, "when poor power supply damages their appliances and cause destructive fires in their homes and industries."

Other customers complained about the alleged extortion by PHCN over the new pre-paid meters introduced by PHCN. They alleged that the company was asking them to pay for the old meters, which in fact, they had purchased from the former National Electric Power Authority.

They also said PHCN officials had been compelling them to pay for services and equipment that the company ought to have provided free of charge. These services, they said included the replacement of damaged transformers, provision of transmission cables and logistics for PHCN personnel who are sent to repair faults.

But Eyoma promised that NERC had come in to ensure that public power suppliers did not rip off consumers. She said all cases and complaints arising from electricity supply in the country would be treated with dispatch.

She, however, said consumers must ensure that they helped power suppliers to protect their equipment and installations to ensure that they were properly serviced, adding that the coming on board of IPP's, Nigerians were assured to get good services because of the competition that the IPPs would engender with PHCN.