Power purchase: Consumers at Achimota angry over ECG network failure

Some residents of Achimota, Tantra Hills, St. Johns, Mile 7, Dome, Kingsby in the Greater Accra region have been left frustrated following their inability to buy credit for their prepaid meters for both domestic and commercial purposes.

The network system at the ECG main office within the district located at St Johns, has broken down, a situation that has led to the inability of the residents to purchase the credit.

Some frustrated residents who spoke to laudbusiness.com on Saturday 5th October 2019 at the St. Johns office of the ECG said they had been in the dark for five days due to the network failure at the ECG.

“I have been coming here for the past four days but they keep telling me that network failure so they can’t serve me,” Enoch, a frustrated resident said.

He added : “The problem is that we don’t even know when the fault will be rectified.”

Another resident at Mile 7, Ama Achia said: “I operate my own store but been without lights because of the network failure.

“This is affecting my business and so I am appealing to the authority to fix the problem for us.”

Some of the agents who spoke to Laudbusiness.com said the fault is emanating from the head office therefore, until it is resolved from there they cannot serve customers.

Meanwhile the Pubic Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has increased electricity and water tariffs.

The PURC’s statement signed by Mami Dufie Ofori, Executive Secretary said: “Following a review of Electricity and Water tariffs for the fourth quarter 2019 which is from October – December 2019, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission wishes to announce for the information of consumers of electricity and water that there has been an upward adjustment in the existing tariffs. The increase is 5.94% for electricity tariffs and 2.22% on water tariffs across board for all customer categories effective October 1, 2019.

“The Automatic Adjustment Formula (AAF) is a tariff mechanism that seeks to track and incorporate movement in key determining factors to reflect the real cost of electricity and water quarterly.

“The following factors were considered in computing he automatic adjustment formula: Ghana Cedi-US dollar Exchange rate, Inflation, Price of crude and natural gas, Fuel mix (crude, oil and natural gas, Generation mix (hydro and thermal), Power purchase cost, Electricity cost (a major cost component in water production).”