EDP, an electrical energy distributor in the Vale do Paraiba, Alto do Tietê, Guarulhos areas and along the north coast of Sao Paulo, invested over R$ 156 million across these regions between January and August 2018. The investments focused on expanding and upgrading the electrical network, infrastructure and customer services.

R$ 26 million was spent building the Mantiqueira and Guararema substations in the cities of Taubaté and Parateí, respectively. The work is progressing quickly and should be concluded in December. Over 71 thousand residents will benefit from the investment. 

At the company is also investing in 497 kilometers of medium and low voltage cables with technology providing better protection against external factors, such as vegetation, kites and items colliding with the cabling, especially during thunderstorms. Between January and August, these improvements benefited over 2 million people. 

In addition to these structural improvements, EDP has invested in equipment to limit the impact from incidents, protect the system and resume service quickly in case of supply outages.

“We are continuously improving so we can deliver a more reliable and safer service in each region we serve. During the first eight months of the year, we listened to customers to better understand their needs and stayed true to the EDP culture, implementing the Nossa Energia para Cuidar Sempre Melhor (Our Better Caring Energy) Program”, said Marney Antunes, managing director at EDP.

At these campaigns were planned to ensure that the Distributor’s electrical system can stay abreast of progress in the Vale do Paraiba, Alto do Tietê, North coast and Guarulhos regions and improve reliability and service quality for consumers in those regions.

Customer Relations

At the Distributor also improved its customer service department. EDP launched new, larger customer service branches in Pindamonhangaba and Guaratingueta, integrating new technologies with greater convenience. The São José dos Campos branch now has a self-service system that uses tablets to offer customers a unique experience. Useres are guided by an expert assistant that explains the practical benefits of using the Company’s online channels.

EDP services are available through local branches or customers can call our toll-free 24-hour call center or contact us using the Internet. There are currently 58 different options on the EDP website (www.edponline.com.br) and 20 on the EDP app, which is compatible with all tablet and smartphone platforms.

Community activities

At the EDP Institute is responsible for structuring the Company’s social investments and initiatives that use sports, culture and health to improve education, support local development with income generation and promote the Portuguese Language, entrepreneurship and volunteering.

Initiatives carried out in the Vale do Paraíba currently benefit 29.5 thousand people. Highlights during the first eight months include cooperation with the Support Group for Children with Cancer (GRAACC) and the Saberes do Vale Project, which protects and teaches people about traditional culture in the Vale do Paraiba.

At the Company’s Energy Efficiency Program also supports communities, schools and local governments. Between January and August, several programs were carried out including Boa Energia nas Escolas (Good Energy in Schools), Boa Energia na Comunidade (Good Energy in the Community) and energy efficiency projects at APAE and the Fazenda da Esperança (Guaratingueta).

EDP supports safe and responsible energy usage and promotes efforts to protect natural resources by replacing equipment. A Project that replaced over 43 thousand higher-consumption light bulbs saved 10097 megawatts-hour (MWh/year), which is equivalent to 3,395 families average annual electricity usage.

At the Energy Efficiency Programs invested R$ 8.8 million across the region between January and August.

Atackling energy fraud

At the Company takes stringent measures to tackle energy fraud. Over R$ 16.9 million was invested in on-site inspections by teams of specialists and meter protection and telemetry projects that provide remote meter readings and trigger an alarm if fraud is detected or a malfunction occurs. More than 82 thousand inspections were carried out across the region, recouping over 46 thousand stolen megawatts-hour (MWh), enough to supply 271 thousand people with electricity for a month.

At these projects are implemented to help prevent accidents from connections that are non-compliant with our technical standards, which allows us to increase safety and improve service consistency. Everyone should be aware that energy fraud is very dangerous, it can cause outages or instability for all everyone on the network and increase energy bills for all of our law-abiding customers.

About EDP

EDP has over 20 years’ experience and is one of the biggest private-sector companies operating across the entire value chain. The Company has over 10,000 direct and indirect staff and is involved in Energy Transmission, Sales and Services. It also operates 15 hydro power plants and one thermal power station. Its Distribution area serves around 3.4 million customers in Sao Paulo and Espírito Santo. The Company recently acquired a stake in CELESC, based in Santa Catarina. In Brazil, the company is noted for its Innovation, Governance and Sustainability and has been included in the B3 Business Sustainability Index (BSI) for 12 consecutive years.