Eastern Region ECG retrieves over GH¢949,000 from power theft
The Eastern Regional branch of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Limited has recovered GH¢949,116 from customers engaged in illegal connection of power.
The amount represents penalties and surcharges levelled against customers in the Region, who were caught using electricity without lawful authority in 2019.
Those caught in the illegal act included; hotel operators, restaurant owners, coldstore operators, owners of drinking pubs, media organisations and individuals.
Speaking to the media on the matter, the Acting Revenue Protection Manager, Mr. Sylvester Ofosu Amankwaah, said the types of illegal connections detected included; meter tampering, meter by-pass, illegal self-reconnection and illegal direct connection.
He explained that the Revenue Protection Unit of the ECG during their monitoring exercise, inspected 4,014 meters last year during which they discovered 16 unauthorised service connections, two illegal direct connections, 29 meters tampered with, 176 faulty meters identified and 111 meters on wrong tariff classes.
Meters that were identified to be on wrong tariff classes were corrected and the identified faulty meters replaced, he added.
He also said the branch was able to recover 1,196,681KWh units of electricity lost through illegal connections.
The total units recovered translated into GH¢1,203,878 of, which an amount of GH¢949,116 was retrieved from customers.
The Eastern Regional General Manager of ECG, Mr Michael Baah said the region initiated series of revenue protection activities aimed at dealing with illegalities in the system and reducing power losses through theft.
“If we are able to reduce commercial losses, we could achieve the system losses benchmark of 20 per cent by the end of 2020,” he said.
He warned that it was a crime to steal power, stressing: “Customers who are caught in such acts will face the law and if culpable prosecuted.”
He encouraged the public to voluntarily report any suspected illegal connection to the nearest ECG office, and informants would be rewarded.
Source: GNA