More customers for PPL

PNG Power Limited (PPL) now has more than 30,000 new electricity customers – thanks to the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and PPL’s amnesty initiative – with millions to be made in new revenue.
The US government, through the USAID, provided support to PPL to design and implement PPL’s amnesty initiative.
The initiative had added more than 30,000 new customers to PPL’s customer registry to date, which generated additional revenue for the utility of more than K1 million from 2022-2023.
Ongoing revenue created by these new registrations is expected to top several millions of Kina per year.
USAID country representative Nino Nadiradze said: “The US is committed to helping PPL increase revenue, build their customer base, and improve service. Increased revenue from customers can support PPL making necessary infrastructure investments to support the Government as it works to meet its goal of 70 per cent electrification by 2030.”
PPL general manager retail Kingston Albert said: “Thanks to PPL’s amnesty initiative, we’ve successfully enrolled consumers who have voluntarily registered and pledged to fulfil their monthly energy bills. Our efforts to uncover illegal connections persist, and we will take appropriate action against those who refuse to comply with payment obligations.”
Prior to the amnesty initiative, PPL was suffering from a 26-30 per cent energy loss due to more than 100,000 illegal connections, including many large businesses.
The amnesty initiative allows customers who were previously connected to PPL’s grid illegally to register as customers without penalties, back bills, or service fees.
These new customers receive a fixed monthly bill based on their household profile and receive more consistent, reliable power than their previous illegal connections provided.
The quality of service has converted non-paying electricity consumers into responsible payees, which means that increased PPL revenue will continue on a monthly basis.
The amnesty initiative has reduced illegal connections by almost one-third. PPL, through a collaboration with MiBank has also made it easier for customers to pay their energy bills.