1.1 Background of the Study
The Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN) and the Niger Dams Authority (NDA) were merged to become National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) by decree No.24 of 1972. The Authority was to develop and maintain an efficient, co-ordinate an economic system of electricity supply for all parts of the Federation. The Authority generates electricity through two major sources: Hydro and Thermal. The Hydro Power stations are Kainji Hydro Power station with capacity of 760MW, Jebba Hydro Power station with 578.4MW capacity, Shiroro Hydro Power Station 600MW. The Thermal Power stations are: Afam Thermal Power station with 696MW, Lagos thermal power station, Delta IV thermal Power station with 600MW and Sapele Thermal Power station 1020MW (EEDC, 2012).
However, the need to reform the Electricity industry necessitated the transformation of NEPA into Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in 2004.
The Electricity Reform Act of 2005, unbundled PHCN into 11 Distribution companies, 1 Transmission Company and 6 Generation companies. This Reform Act gave birth to Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC). It was accorded the mandate to generate, transmit, distribute, and market electricity (EEDC, 2012).
It has on its own the task to develop and to maintain an efficient coordinated and economical system of electricity supply to all parts of Nigeria and other parts of West Africa like Benin republic, Ghana and Niger republics in the northern part of Nigeria. In the bid to meet with its statutory responsibility geared towards the satisfaction of its customers need worldwide constitute the establishment of the Alausa-Ikeja road office, has been functional over decades (EEDC, 2012).
Past, the system was not well efficient because the manipulations of the system were handled solely using humans’ operations which constituted different errors. In our time, it has become necessary to implement modern approaches to technology in order to manage activities of an organization.
In a world like ours today there is every need to manage funds in every activity being carried out. It is the concern of every firm to control its finances to ensure that unnecessary expenses are avoided. Financial management in a company has proved to be a great task involving the monitor of almost all departments of the company. As such, companies tend to be severe about the tools being used to manage these resources of theirs. This is because financial resources have to do with figures, calculations and computations which may present errors if not properly handled. To this end a computerized system will go a long way to sort many issues in managing financial affairs.
Monitoring power and issuing its bill is the job of Power Holding companies, and they intend to present this information to their customers/subscribers on time and precise. In Nigeria the situation is not different. EEDC, Awka has been on the job for decades now. The issue now is how is it being done and whether the method being used yields the best results? With the growing rate of technology in our world today the question is not far-fetched.
The use of manual means of manipulation of records has been proved to have different flaws attached to it so companies are gradually turning on to information technology for aid. Offices are no longer known for the piles of paper and files that it usually had. Rather it is made of devices that make up an automated office system, devices like, desktops, laptops, printers, scanners, etc.
A computerized system involves the use of computer devices and connections to achieve tasks in a corporate environment. Using this type of system to manage activities will help solve problems of familiar problems being presented by manual systems.
This research project is focused on showing how a computerized system can be modeled to monitor power outage and present bills for it. It studies the characteristics of a computerized system and its components.
For a system to require some modification or replacement or enhancement, there must be some existing problems associated with the old or existing system that prompted to it. This organization faces numerous problems due to the manual methods of recording which may include:
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The main objective of the project is to fully understand the existing system and to identify the basic information requirement and then discuss now the computerization of the system can assist in eradicating the problems of non-computer based system.
The specific objectives includes:
Owing to the apparent and deliberate cynic approach of people towards the issue of whether or power monitoring system is expedient, the research project has the under-listed significance:
1.5 Scope of the Study
The scope of this study is focused on power monitoring in EEDC. It considers the procedures used for managing the billing system in EEDC and how a computerized system can contribute to the betterment of these activities. The study uses EEDC, Awka as its case study.
1.6 Limitations of Study
In the course of carrying out this research work a number of problems were encountered.
1.7 Definition of Terms
Automation: it is the replacement of human workers by technology; a system in which a workplace or processes has been converted to one that replaced or ministries human labor with electronic or mechanical equipment.
Bills: This is an amount of money owed for goods supplied or services rendered, set out in a printed or written statement of charge that is to be paid for at a later date by the consumers.
Capacitor: This is a passive two-terminal component used to store energy in an electric field.
Data processing: it is defined as the entire process of converting or manipulating data into definite meaningful information (Adigwe, & Okoye, 2015).
Data Security: Data security prevents unauthorized users from viewing or updating the database by the use of passwords.
Data: is any collections of vital information that meant to be processed.
Database Management System (DBMS): it is software which controls the flow of data and checks and checks on how data are stored.
Database: is an organized /unique collection of related files. It is a collection of schemas, tables, queries, reports, views and other object.
Documentation: material that provides official information or evidence that serves as record; written specifications and information that describes the product.
Electric Power: Electric power is the rate of energy consumption in a circuit. The electric power is measured in units of watts.
Information: is a processed data that can be read and understand.
Management: it is act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively. It includes planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization or a system to accomplish a goal.
Monitoring: This generally means to be aware of the state of the system in order to control the system effectively.
Security: This helps to prevent unauthorized users from illegally accessing certain data within the database, it protects your data/ files.
Software: is a program or a set of programs written to carry out some task in the computer, it also perform logical related programs that works together to control the hardware.
Supply: This is the amount of electrical energy that is being released to a particular circuit within a particular. Supply determines the consumption of power.
System: It is the collection of hardware and software, data information procedure and people.
Voltage: This is the potential energy that makes the electrical current flow in circuit by pushing the electrons around. It is how we measure the difference in electrical energy.