About 100,000 using power illegally: PPL

AN estimated 100,000 customers of PNG Power Ltd (PPL) are currently consuming power without a PPL meter, chief executive officer Obed Batia says.
Batia said PPL was losing 26 per cent to 30 per cent of energy generated through illegal power theft activities such as meter tampering, meter by-passes, and direct connections around the country.
He said this in Port Moresby yesterday when launching phase two the company’s amnesty programme aimed at getting unregistered consumers signed up and paying for the power they used.
“This directly leads to leakages in PPL’s cash flow hence limiting investments into repair/maintenance, spares and other capital investment requirements to improve power service reliability,” he said.
“The low socio economic environment contributes to domestic consumers resorting to illegal power connections however, many business houses in the retail and grocery sector are deliberately involved in these illegal activities also.”