ECG warns against use of unauthorized electricians as illegal operations cause power cuts and costly damages

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has cautioned customers to stop engaging unauthorized private electricians to operate within its network, warning that the practice is illegal, dangerous, and causing heavy financial losses.

Mr. George Amoah, General Manager of ECG’s Ashanti West Region, told the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi that such electricians engage in activities including climbing poles, using substandard fuses on transformers, and transferring customers from one phase to another. These actions, he said, often lead to power cuts, low voltage, fluctuations, and transformer damage.

He cited a recent incident at Bousie in the Suame District, where ECG lost a 33kV transformer due to such interference and was forced to replace it with a 200kV unit valued at GH₵110,000. Areas like the Adum Business District and Abinkyi have also suffered outages and equipment damage linked to unauthorized operations. Beyond infrastructure losses, ECG also loses revenue from unused power that customers have already paid for.

Mr. Amoah stressed the life-threatening risks of these illegal activities, explaining that ECG’s ring system allows supply from multiple feeders, meaning an electrician could be electrocuted while assuming lines are inactive. He revealed that in Dabaa, Atwima Nwabiagya North Municipality, a private electrician was charging residents GH₵150 for restoring power, only to dangerously overload the red phase of the transformer.

He emphasized that only certified electricians and ECG engineers with official permits, identification cards, and branded safety gear are authorized to work on the network. Offenders will be prosecuted under Executive Instrument (EI) 38 of the Appointment of Public Prosecution Instrument (2010). Mr. Amoah urged customers to cooperate with ECG to safeguard installations, prevent outages, and protect lives.