MONROVIA, Montserrado – Scores of Liberia Electricity Corporation customers in the Lakpazee community have been complaining about power fluctuations over the past week, with some demanding an answer from the energy provider.

Some LEC customers interviewed said they depend on the electricity to power their refrigerators, which they use to chill soft drinks and other beverages. They are now finding difficulty maintaining their businesses because they said the constant power fluctuation has damaged their appliances.

Others are complaining about now spending the nights in darkness due to blown light bulbs. Still, some say their children now have to use candles to study at night.

One customer has even threatened to sue LEC over his damaged electrical appliances.

According to Morris Flomo, his recently purchased US$500 refrigerator was damaged due to what he said was a constant power fluctuation in his community.

“I am jobless and my wife depends on the refrigerator to sell cold water to sustain our family,” he added. “Where am I going to source money to feed and send my children to school?”

Morris Flomo stands next to his damaged refrigerator. Photo: Zeze Ballah

Flomo, who said he has been subscribed with LEC since 2014, said he was not satisfied with the entity’s overall service and that he would consult his lawyer to consider suing for the damage to his refrigerator.

“To be very frank, the service of LEC is not encouraging at all,” Flomo noted, adding that he was frustrated with the lack of notification to customers about power outages.

“We as customers of LEC pay our hard-earned money without enjoying the service,” he said.

Nearby, another LEC customer, Sonnie Weefar, also complained that the power fluctuations damaged all the light bulbs in her house and her television that cost US$2,050.

Sonnie Weefar’s residence in the Lakpazee community. Photo: Zeze Ballah

Weefar said her three children were now forced to study under candle light.

“The lights were just going off and coming on,” Weefar said. She, however, did not threaten to take legal action against LEC, as in the case of Flomo.

Mambu James Kpargoi, the public relations specialist for the utility company, told The Bush Chicken that power fluctuation is a usual phenomenon all over the world and that “Liberia is no exception.”

Mambu James Kpargoi, LEC’s public relations specialist. Photo: Zeze Ballah

Kpargoi said LEC technicians were out in the field investigating the source of the power fluctuation.

“I want to assure our customers that within a couple of hours, the situation will be resolved,” he said.

However, by Sunday evening, Kpargoi had still not provided details on the cause of the power fluctuations, nor had he detailed whether the situation had been resolved. Residents in the area said the situation had not been resolved completely, although it had improved.

Kpargoi advised customers to protect their valuable appliances by connecting their appliances to outlets via 110-volt stabilizers.

Voltage fluctuations can be detected by flickering lights. They are generally caused by loose or corroded connections at either the house of concern or on the power lines. With the situation in Lakpazee where multiple houses were experiencing the issue, the voltage fluctuation experienced is likely being caused by problems with the connections on the power lines.

Editing by Mary Khisa. Featured photo by Jefferson Krua