Reductions in ECG tariff to reflect April 1

Consumers of power will begin to feel the impact of the much awaited cut in tariff by the beginning of next month instead of the March 15 date publicised by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).

This is because the ECG says its meters will have to be calibrated to capture the change and that cannot be done in the middle of the month due to the configuration of the meters.

“The monthly billing cycle of the prepayment metering system does not technically allow ECG to implement the review in the middle of the month.

“Consequently, prepaid customers of ECG should note that the programming of the billing system will refund the reduction from the implementation date of the 15th to 31st March 2018. When they deposit cash or purchase electricity from 1st April 2018 onwards,” head of the ECG Ingineer Samuel Boakye-Appiah told the media at a press conference Wednesday.

He however assured ECG will refund customers the excess charges after the calibration is done.

“Consequently, prepaid customers of ECG should note that the programming of the billing system will refund the reduction from the implementation date of the 15th to 31st March 2018. When they deposit cash or purchase electricity from 1st April 2018 onwards”.

Per the summary of the approved percentage reductions residential consumers will enjoy 17.5% reduction with Non-Residential consumers enjoying 30% with Special Load Tariff Customers (LV, MV & Hv and Mines enjoying 25% and 10% respectively.

The Commission said in a statement announcing the reduction, the key objectives in the tariff review were “to ensure efficient and equitable tariffs; and to ensure that tariffs are relevant to the current socio-economic environment.”

It also added that it took into account major considerations including the impending Private Sector Participation (PSP) Concession within the Electricity Distribution Sector.