The PNG Power Limited (PPL) exercise to disconnect illegal power connection to easipay meters through a by- pass or direct connection to a building without the use of a meter box, is to come up with a better way to deal with the matter going forward.
According to Mr. Damien Kaputin, the Acting Manager Meter Audit Low Consumption of the Retail Division of PPL, this work is done in conjunction with USAID as part of the United States assistance to achieve Papua New Guinea’s reach of electricity of 70% by 2030 as per the government’s goals.
He said from this exercise, a proper working process should be put together to deal with this particular issue going forward, including taking legal action on those who steal power from PNG Power through illegal connection.
“That’s the next step that the company (PPL) is trying to go through, and we have our USAID team, the consultants who are here who assist on the legal end of it to discourage customers doing illegal reconnections without paying up their back bills.”
He said there are about 50 customers that PPL will check again after disconnecting them previously for illegal connection.
These 50 are just part of over a thousand in the same situation, but this batch would be used to make assessments as to what actions to take, what needs to be changed and how to properly address this going forward.
The outcome will come in the form of a report that will be later discussed between PPL and USAID and the state, on the solutions to this problem going forward.
Yesterday’s exercise saw about six homes in Gerehu in Port Moresby disconnected again after the landlords and owners of the premises reconnected the power illegally.
PNG Power loses 25% of revenue each year to power theft alone, in addition to the other loses like from outstanding bill payments and from transmission loss.