The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Ashanti West Region has commenced an exercise to ensure all customers in arrears pay their bills promptly while clamping down on illegal connections as part of efforts to retrieve monies owed the company.

The exercise is taking place in all eight operational districts under the Ashanti West Region namely Abuakwa, Adum, Ahinsan, Bibiani, Danyame, Kokoben, Offinso and Suame.

The exercise will see ECG Revenue Mobilization Teams visiting companies, factories, households, hostels, hotels, cold stores, pubs, restaurants and government institutions that owe the company to ensure they settle their debts.

The revenue mobilization teams will as part of the exercise check the integrity of all postpaid and prepaid meters, illegal connections and surcharge customers caught using power illegally to deprive the company of the needed revenue.

Speaking to the media, the General Manager of ECG in Ashanti West Region, Mr. Maxwell Dapaah, said “the region has commenced this special exercise to help the company retrieve money owed by some customers and curb the menace of illegal connection which will enable the company gather enough revenue to sustain the electricity supply chain”.

Mr. Dapaah indicated that the activities of the Revenue Mobilization Teams are in accordance with the PURC Regulation LI 2413 (30), which allows the company to disconnect customers who refused to pay their bills within 14 days after receiving the bill.

“We want our customers to know that they have 14 days to pay their current bills or face disconnection as stated in Regulation 30 of PURC Li 2413,”, he said.

The ECG General Manager however indicated that ECG as a company does not take delight in disconnecting customers.

“We buy and sell power hence the more a customer consumes power, the more the company makes money so we don’t take delight in disconnecting customers since we don’t get revenue from unserved power. However disconnection which is mostly the last resort is carried out in order to prevent the customer from accruing more debt and to enable the company gather more revenue to keep the electricity supply chain running”, he explained.

Mr. Dapaah indicated that the company is reaching out to its debtors through phone calls, announcements and serving some institutions and businesses disconnection notice as part of efforts to engage them before any disconnection happens.

"Our recent exercises have revealed that the debt profile of our customers is increasing due to the fact that regular payments are not made by our customers. If customers pay all their monthly bills promptly, I think their debt profile will be very low”, he added.

Customers who do not receive their bills or dispute their bills should keep paying on account based on the last bill they received or pay the portion of the bill they don’t dispute and visit ECG for redress because the PURC Regulation Li 2413, regulation 32 enjoins customers to pay on account if they don’t receive their bill and also pay the portion of the bill they do not dispute.

Mr. Dapaah cautioned the general public, especially persons and organizations who prevent ECG staff from getting access to their meters to desist from the act since such obstructions are hindering the smooth operations of ECG and called on the general public to allow them do their job.

He further appealed to all customers to desist from illegal connections and make the payment of electricity bills one of their topmost priorities to enable the company keep the electricity supply chain operational since the revenue ECG gathers from customers keeps our lights on.

“Payment of electricity consumed is a patriotic act so let’s all emulate the patriotic act of prompt payment of bills to keep the lights on”, he added