Development of an Automated Electricity Bill Complaint System for EEDC Customers in Enugu Metropolis

The management of electricity billing disputes between the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and its customers in Enugu Metropolis has been a persistent source of public dissatisfaction, with complaints regarding estimated billing, overcharging, and billing errors frequently unresolved due to inadequate complaint handling infrastructure. Customers must often make in-person visits to EEDC offices to lodge complaints, facing long queues and slow response timelines that discourage engagement and reduce accountability. This study developed an automated electricity bill complaint system enabling EEDC customers in Enugu Metropolis to submit, track, and receive resolutions for billing complaints through a web-based platform accessible on both desktop and mobile devices. The system was built using PHP, MySQL, and Bootstrap, incorporating a structured complaint submission form, automated complaint reference number generation, complaint category classification, and a customer-facing tracking dashboard linked to the reference number. An EEDC staff backend supported complaint assignment to resolution officers, status updates, and escalation alerts for complaints exceeding defined resolution timelines. System testing confirmed accurate complaint logging, reference number assignment, and notification delivery at each resolution stage. Customer usability evaluation indicated high satisfaction with the platform's transparency and the reduction in the need for physical office visits. The study concluded that an automated complaint management system would improve EEDC's service accountability and customer relations in Enugu Metropolis, and recommended integration with EEDC's existing customer database for enhanced operational continuity.

Keywords: complaint management, EEDC, electricity billing, Enugu Metropolis, customer service automation