During a meeting in Greater Accra, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) demanded that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) address persistent power outages and slow meter acquisition. Madam Gifty Bruce‑Nelson, PURC’s Greater Accra Regional Manager, highlighted the region’s record number of complaints, citing outages, phase‑offs, power fluctuations and low voltages.
How the Story Unfolded
The call came after PURC’s mid‑year monitoring and consumer engagements across the region. The commission’s electronic complaint channels, including WhatsApp, had surfaced customer concerns, while field and industrial monitoring identified overloaded transformers, meter shortages, theft, network gaps and staff impersonation.
Key Issues Raised
- Transformer upgrades and network infrastructure improvements
- Clear communication on fault restoration
- Faster acquisition, installation and replacement of meters
- Reduction of billing disputes and discrepancies
Madam Bruce‑Nelson urged ECG to prioritise these actions, noting that delays in metering contribute to estimated billing, illegal connections and consumption disputes. She added, “Kindly improve the efficiency of the metering process and provide consumers with clear information regarding application procedures, requirements and expected timelines.”
ECG’s Response and Ongoing Challenges
ECG district managers reported that some customers had installed substandard meters not captured in the system, leading to bill refusal. Community engagements were launched to educate consumers on proper meter capture and bill payment. The transition to a new billing system after the shutdown of the previous one was also cited as a factor behind billing challenges.
Both parties acknowledged that the engagement was part of a broader effort to strengthen collaboration and improve electricity service delivery and customer relations in the Greater Accra Region.
