Accra East ECG begins exercise to address power theft

The Accra East Region of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has undertaken a meter inspection and monitoring exercise as part of efforts to clamp down on illegal connections and power theft.

Eighty teams formed across the Region’s operational districts comprising Makola, Dodowa, Mampong, Kwabenya, Roman Ridge, Legon, Teshie, and Adentan were involved in the exercise held last month.

At East Legon, three houses within the Shiashie enclave were found to have engaged in illegal connection.

The culpritS were thus disconnected from the main grid by the ECG officials and summoned to report at the Region’s Office within 24 hours to take receipt of their penalties for immediate action.

Mary Eshun-Oppong, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Accra East Region, ECG, stated that the culprits would be awarded penalties and were expected to pay at least 50 percent of the recovery bill before power was restored.

The team, she explained, did not arrest the culprits because they admitted the offense and also due to the non-involvement of security personnel in the exercise.

She said that the exercise was to minimize commercial losses incurred through power theft, disconnect defaulting customers, and apprehend culprits of illegal connections.

Additionally, it was also geared towards inspecting and monitoring the integrity of ECG meters in customers’ premises and creating awareness on the effects of illegal connections, she added.

The PRO said the exercise was in line with the mandate of a special task force inaugurated by the Minister of Energy, Matthew Opoku Prempeh to deal with the menace of power theft.

The 80 teams deployed across the various operational districts of the region, Ms. Eshun-Oppong said, would engage in house to house inspection and monitoring of meters, visit factories, workplaces, industries, schools, churches, and other places where ECG meters were located.

The 10 teams for each district were expected to inspect about 1,200 meters in the region’s operations areas, she noted.

She cautioned house owners to avoid the temptation to engage in illegal connections since the repercussions would be dire and unfavourable.