The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has directed the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to compensate customers affected by the recent prepaid vending and metering system failure.
The directive follows what the PURC described as a breach of ECG’s statutory obligations after the vending glitch disrupted prepaid electricity services for about a week.
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ECG had earlier stated that it would not offer blanket compensation, indicating that any compensation would be considered on a case-by-case basis.
However, in a statement issued on October 4, 2022, the PURC ordered ECG to compensate all affected customers in accordance with the law and as part of good customer service.
The compensation, to be provided as a one-time electricity credit between October 1 and October 7, 2022, includes:
- Lifeline customers – GH¢15 credit
- Residential customers – GH¢120 credit
- Non-residential customers – GH¢240 credit
- Commercial institutions – GH¢480 equivalent in penalty units
- Industrial institutions – GH¢1,200 equivalent in penalty units
Customers in Volta, Takoradi, Tema, Cape Coast, Kasoa, Winneba, Swedru, Koforidua, Nkawkaw, and Tafo are expected to benefit from the compensation.
The PURC also directed ECG to extend working hours at all affected offices until 8:00 p.m., deploy temporary staff where necessary, and ensure all affected customers receive their approved compensation within the specified period.
Additionally, ECG has been instructed to widely publicise the compensation programme and maintain accurate records of all measures taken, including the number of temporary staff engaged, for regulatory monitoring.
