The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the Ashanti West region has initiated a comprehensive exercise to clamp down on illegal electricity connections and recover outstanding bill arrears from its customers.
This effort is part of the company's ongoing commitment to ensuring that all instances of illegal electricity usage are addressed, while also urging customers with outstanding debts to settle their bills to support revenue generation.
The exercise is being conducted across all eight operational areas of the region, including Abuakwa, Adum, Ahinsan, Bibiani, Danyame, Kokoben, Offinso, and Suame.
Mr. Maxwell Dapaah, General Manager for Ashanti West, explained that the initiative involves revenue mobilization teams visiting various establishments such as companies, factories, households, hostels, hotels, cold stores, pubs, restaurants, and government institutions to facilitate bill settlements.
Additionally, the teams are tasked with verifying the integrity of both postpaid and prepaid meters, identifying illegal connections, and imposing surcharges on customers found to be illicitly using electricity, thereby depriving the company of much-needed revenue.
Mr. Dapaah emphasized that the exercise is essential for recovering outstanding debts and combating the issue of illegal connections prevalent in the region. He cited the backing of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission's Regulation L.I 2413 (30), which permits disconnection of customers who fail to settle their bills within two weeks of receipt.
However, Mr. Dapaah stressed that the company does not take pleasure in disconnecting customers, as it aims to facilitate power consumption to generate revenue. Disconnections, he noted, are a last resort to prevent further debt accumulation and ensure the sustainability of the electricity supply chain.
He further encouraged customers to proactively engage with the company regarding bill disputes or non-receipt of bills, suggesting payment based on the last received bill or partial payments while seeking redress at ECG offices.
Ultimately, Mr. Dapaah appealed to customers to avoid illegal connections and prioritize timely payment of electricity bills, underscoring the importance of sustained revenue generation to maintain operational efficiency within the electricity supply chain.
ECG looks like it is bent on pouring sand in NPP’s gari. just a saying