‘We lost N60m in 10 days to erratic power supply’

Management of R.H Plastic Company which supplies food and oil packaging materials revealed that it lost N60 million during a 10-day blackout in October in Kaduna.

The plastic company however demanded for a lasting solution to the menace.

Speaking to journalists in Kaduna at the Customers’ Complaint Summit organized by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC), Heads of Manufacturing and Maintenance, R.H. Plastic Company, Mr. Sanjeev Kumar and Vaibhav Lakhole, expressed frustration over the inability to operate due to the prolonged power outage.

They said the company reported significant setbacks including raw material wastage, machinery downtime, and production halts as restarting the machines after prolonged stoppages also required substantial electricity further compounding their losses.

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“As a production company, we rely heavily on consistent power to meet the demands of our esteemed customers. Running our machines on generators is unsustainable because of the prohibitive costs. This outage paralyzed our operations and caused substantial financial losses.

“We are among the biggest consumers of Kaduna Electric, using over 500,000 kWh of electricity monthly and paying nearly N100 million for it. Yet, this outage caused process wastages, quality defects, and unmet customer demands that have severely dented our business and balance sheet,” they added.

Commissioner in charge of Consumer Affairs at the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC), Aisha Mahmud said it is unfair for the customers to demand compensation from the Distribution Company for a fault that is not theirs.

Aisha noted that the Company can only compensate if it is the fault of the utility, where customers could not get supply of hours dedicated to their Band.

Earlier, the Governor of Kaduna state, Senator Uba Sani, represented by Managing Director of Kaduna State Power Supply Company, (KAPSCO), Engr. Idris Aminu Idris, said improved power supply would meet the needs of residents and businesses.