The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED), says it has launched a new billing system for easy payment of electricity bills by customers in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers states.

Mr. Henry Ajagbawa, the Chief Executive Officer of PHED, made this known in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, during the official launch of the new payment model.

Represented by PHED’s General Manager of Services, Mrs. Ochuko Amah, Ajagbawa expressed optimism that the new Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD), the payment system would improve the company’s revenue.

He said that with the new USSD approach, customers on Prepaid and Postpaid meters can now pay their electricity bills by dialing*347*008# on their mobile phones.

“The USSD bill payment by EasyPay International in conjunction with PHED is to encourage our customers to make seamless payment of electricity bills by using their mobile phones.

“PHED decided to hire EasyPay to enable the company to expand the company’s collection network with a view to serving the customers better.

Ajagbawa said that the company decided to launch the USSD payment system understanding that some customers did not own internet-enabled smartphones to access PHED’s online payment portal.

He further said that the payment was targeted mainly at customers in rural areas, especially those who always blamed the unavailability of the internet in their area as an excuse not to pay their electricity bills.

“The expansion of our collection points is aimed at making payment of electricity bills accessible to all and sundry, and so, customers will no longer have excuses not to pay their bills.

“The prompt payment of electricity bill by customers will enable PHED to sustain its ongoing network expansion, meet statutory obligations and maintain our network,” he said.

The PHED boss said that the company was currently carrying out the massive expansion of its network to light Port Harcourt and environs on or before June 2021.

According to him, the network expansion would be extended to its three other coverage states to enable customers to enjoy an uninterrupted electricity supply.

Mr. Lucky Omonedo, the Head Internal Audit of EasyPay International, said that besides the ease of payment, customers who paid their electricity bills regularly would be gifted huge financial rewards.

He said that customers could use the USSD payment system without paying service fees.