Deputy Energy Minister inaugurates GSA Public Utilities Metrology Laboratory

The establishment of a public utilities metrology laboratory by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is a significant stride toward bolstering efforts to ensure national standardisation across the diverse sectors of the economy, Deputy Minister of Energy, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, has said.

Speaking during the inauguration of the newly established laboratory, the Deputy Minister said it would enhance precision and reliability in measurements across public utilities and aligned seamlessly with the pertinent regulations governing the electricity sector.

The regulations, among other provisions, expressed the need for an impartial and transparent mechanism in addressing disputes relating to electricity consumption.

Mr Mercer said an independent third-party verification as part of the assessment was necessary when there were consumer and service providers’ disputes.

He urged the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to harness the facility’s capabilities to ensure fair and unbiased assessment.

“The establishment of this independent meter testing laboratory is not just a welcome addition, but a critical step toward achieving our national standardisation goals,” he said.

The deputy minister said the persistent challenges hindering the electricity distribution sub-sector was the lack of adequate metering infrastructure for all consumer categories and the use of different metering technologies, making the integration with a common metre management system difficult.

He expressed the hope that the inauguration of the national metering testing facility would significantly enhance meter-testing processes and served as a crucial tool in overcoming the impediments.

The Director-General of GSA, Professor Alex Doodo, during his remarks to officially open the facility, said the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s legislation, LI 2413, enjoined all metres to be used for public utilities to undergo certification and testing.

The GSA is expected to do this to ensure that trading within the industry is fair and that consumers are protected.

The Ghana Standards Authority Act, 2022, Act 1078, makes provision for the appointment of a Custodian-General who, by gazette, is mandated to ensure that all equipment used for measuring in trade industry, health and commerce conform to national standards.

He pledged to work with industry and consumers to ensure fairness in buying and selling to keep the industry efficient and modern; and not overburden industry or consumers.

The Chairman of the Governing Board of GSA, Prof. Felix Charles Mills-Robertson, in brief remarks, said the laboratory would ensure that those who relied on public utilities such as electricity would receive exactly what they pay for, and are equally charged for what they consume.

The Public Utilities Metrology Laboratory was realised through the partnership of GSA and the UCL Group, which consists of UCL Ghana Limited and UCL Synergy Limited – duly registered private limited liability companies in Ghana.

The purpose of the Private Support Sector Programme – Metrology Services (PSSP-MS) is to protect energy domestic consumers, businesses and industries by ensuring that equity prevails in all commercial transactions involving the determination of energy usage through installed metres.