Electricity deficit and metering woes in Ghana

The silent Ghanaian bystander was not sure about what the offices of two major public and public/private institutions of PURC and ECG were arguing about in August 2009. These institutions are in effect the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission and the Electricity Company of Ghana Limited respectively. Later on it was revealed by the newspapers and the electronic media that the apparent confusion was about the interpretation of the electricity supply, rates and billing laws, between the PURC and ECG. The impasse did not only reveal but also displayed the insanity in the utilities sector. Records reveal an electricity supply deficit of about sixty percent in the country. So that the whole attitude of blame does not help anyone but only goes to send mixed signals to consumers about the sole electricity provider. Especially in the areas of energy policy, law, judgement of providers and regulatory bodies in Ghana. The providers of water and electricity in Ghana have performed rather abysmally for many years to such an extent that no one has been answerable for.

Electricity metering programme in Ghana is terribly inadequate, where water meter supply cannot be spoken of because no water runs into our homes. Therefore, I would prefer to leave it at that. But coming back to electricity meters, I wish to recall the text message a listener sent to a Joy FM programme (August 2009). The listener complained bitterly about not receiving a meter he had paid for at the ECG three months earlier but have not been installed. How on earth can the electricity company account for the electricity, supplied with tax payers money without meters. In most countries (New Zealand, Japan, Korea, etc.) meters are provided for free and in others like the US and even in New Zealand, a meter is provided long before a real estate development starts. These countries see to it that meters are manufactured and sometimes imported ones are provided to last a generation. Because they consider the meter as a core infrastructure that links the electricity supplier to the consumer in a transparent way. In the Ghanaian situation it is the opposite because the ECG has become the sole supplier of electricity to homes. Hence, can renege on any payments for meters essentially because it has become profitable to do so. To the Ghanaian consumer of electricity, a meter is a need they cannot do without forever. To them it therefore equals to paying for any other commodity in the market, because it is a utility that is essential. Investigations show that many consumers have been compelled to pay for meters that they have not received, some lasting at least three months of delay for new applicants. Some consumers are owed meter provision arrears in excess of three years.

The lot of credit meters that have been brought into the system are below standard. In fact they are just as "toy-ish" as the generators that were brought in during the load-shedding exercise. The failure of all meters is incomprehensibly high and can be said to be worse than the unfortunate BECE exam results in Ghana. In many other countries high performance indicators are a priority. In Japan for instance the entire country opts for nothing less than a "zero defect" policy for any industrial product. We in Ghana however, as we can see from the ECG example seem to aim at 105 percent "default rate." This difficulty incidentally is creeping into almost every sphere of life of Ghanaians and nothing seems to be done to fix it. At this stage I would only say it as it is. I have noticed painfully, in recent years that we tend to support the wrong doer and are almost developing a culture of "wrong doing." Just as I mentioned before most of the so called new prepaid meters are no better. There is also no real justification to make Ghanaians use prepaid meters at all, especially during this period of erratic electric energy supply.

Why? Because in the UK where prepaid meters have been used, there are clear reasons why it was practicable. The country has developed functioning utility infrastructures, places like London and all major cities have compact housing.It could also be said that majority of the people are employed most of the time such that the unemployed who fall below the social safety net are given requisite support. One of the protections is through free to affordable housing provision through numerous council flats that are owned by the state or municipal councils. In addition to this they also receive a "dole." So the little expectation from state authorities after receiving such support is to be able to show a little appreciation by being responsible for ones life. And one of the ways is to prepay for electricity consumed. The cost of production of one unit of electricity is also quite high in the UK. The average electricity and basic rent have been factored into the “dole” they receive any way. So that in a way it has become a litmus test of duty to one self and to society at large in the UK situation. Ghana on the other hand does not have a single social safety net for anyone. Then what is the fuss about prepaid metering when electricity supply is unreliable by the way. It should be scrapped as I said at best it should be optional.

I must say that Ghana has had good meters in the past, like the ones that have been in my parents' home over forty years ago and functioning. But there are also an awful lot of new meters brought in recently, that break down during lightening ostensibly after any kind of tropical rains. There are many people who have complained to me during our investigations that they have replaced not less than three meters under such circumstances in the past six years. Sudden electricity power cuts have destroyed many consumer products like computers, fans, television, refrigerators, including sound systems all of which have broken down making life unbearable for consumers. Especially, because most of these appliances they acquire are the barest necessities of life but because they are beyond their means in the first place the moment they are lost they are unable to afford them again for ever. Electrical faults are said to be the cause of 90 percent of fires in buildings and markets across the country. The incidents of fire in markets of Accra, Kumasi and all over the country including the most recent incident of the blaze that destroyed vital audiological equipment at Korle-Bu hospital have been blamed on fluctuations in the electricity supply to the building.

These and other hazards posed by electricity supply to consumers have become the realities consumers face day in day out. When this happens, ECG tends to shift blame to the consumer for either not having the right earthen material, the right electrical wiring and sometimes brand contract electricians as bad or accuse them of being unqualified. Most of the explanations given by ECG officials to most consumers are usually unsubstantiated and rightly so because it has become mere excuses for their failure. Such a posture from the ECG is unbecoming since there are many qualified electricians who work throughout the country, many of whom are hired upon recommendations by the ECG itself. I live in a home that have suffered from burnt meters on a number of occasions, irrespective of the fact that the ECG's own contractor came to work on the earthen wire. I do believe it is due to the sub-standard meters that are constantly brought into Ghana by unscrupulous business people. The hopeless electricity situation also means that the PURC and ECG may be sleeping so the institutions should rethink of a more workable, but rigorous licensing regime for all electricians in Ghana.

Source: Doe, James W.

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