Energy Fiji Limited has received more than 100 reports of broken service mains over the last two months and power to the affected area is shut off immediately to avoid the loss of life.
CEO, Hasmukh Patel says you cannot put a price on human life and 30 to 40 minutes of inconvenience is nothing compared to keeping our fellow Fijians safe.
Patel says broken service mains are caused by normal wear and tear and recklessness.
He says when these breaks occur, their highest priority is to protect Fijians, and they take all necessary measures possible to prevent injury or loss of life by someone accidentally coming into contact with a live wire.
The CEO further says they work to restore the affected areas’ power supply as soon as possible after their technical teams arrive, isolate the broken consumer wires, and remedy the fault.
Patel adds he is asking for people’s patience and understanding, and request they bear with these temporary power shut-offs when they occur.
He further says service mains are susceptible to natural elements like rain, wind, and sun, and customers must have them regularly inspected for wear and tear with registered electrical contractors.
He adds any fallen power lines encountered should be treated as live and people can call the emergency line on 913 to report any fallen, broken, or sagging power lines they may see.
