The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Ghana’s electricity and water utilities regulator, has saved consumers from paying a whopping GH¢9,459,627.65 to utility companies for electricity and water they did not consume over four years.
The breakdown of the figure shows that in 2018 alone, the PURC’s intervention by way of investigating and settling complaints between consumers and utility companies in line with their core functions saved consumers Gh¢580,526.82 and Gh¢ 2,527,356.62 in 2019.
In 2020, the Commission’s intervention saved consumers from paying Gh¢888,304.25 while Gh¢6,459,627.65 was saved by consumers in 2021.
These figures were contained in a presentation by Alhaji Jabaru Abukari, Director, Regional Operations of Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), last Thursday, under the topic: ‘Post Tariff Complaints and PURC Complaints Management Process’ at a Webinar hosted by the USAID funded Power Africa West Africa Energy Program (WAEP) in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The webinar was part of a series of planned capacity building programs aimed at increasing the understanding of Social Accountability Actors and Civil Society Organizations on the electricity tariff processes in Ghana.
“Prudent complaints investigations by the Commission have impacted positively on the finances of complaints through credit sales adjustments and utilities as revenue recovery. This is a result of over-billing and damages caused by the utilities and non-payment of bills,” Alhaji Jabaru explained.
In 2021, PURC’s intervention also help the utilities to recover Gh¢548,383 as revenue.
A trend analysis of complaints lodged to the Commission and resolved from 2016 to 2021 showed that there was a decrease in the number of complaints lodged from 3,202 in 2016 to 2,713 representing a 15.27 per cent decrease.
However, this increased to 5,226 in 2018, representing a 92.63 per cent increase.
The complaints again increased to 9,550 in 2019 by 82.74 per cent.
This increase, the Commission said, as a result of innovation introduced that allowed complaints to lodge complaints via WhatsApp.
The Commission noted that another reason that accounted for the increase in complaints in 2019 was the problem between ECG and Kroboland.
There was, however, a decrease in complaints lodged from 9,550 in 2019 to 7,067 in 2020 representing a decrease of 26 per cent. This is was mainly due to the outbreak of Covid-19 and its related lockdown of the country as well as restrictions on movement.
In 2021, complaints lodged with the Commission increased to 10,987 from 7,067 in 2020 representing an increase of 55.47 per cent.
According to the Commission, the increase was a result of the increase in the number of regional offices of the Commission as well as the increase in WhatsApp platforms.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com