The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) Volta/Oti Regional Office has recorded its highest complaint resolution performance in five years, resolving 892 out of 904 complaints lodged against utility providers during the first quarter of 2026.

According to the Volta/Oti Regional Director of PURC, Philip Agbezudor, the achievement reflects the Commission’s intensified efforts to protect consumers and ensure utility providers respond promptly to service challenges affecting residents and businesses across the region.

The Commission’s first quarter activities report, released on April 29, indicated that the 98.67 per cent resolution rate represents the highest performance recorded in the region over the past five years.

The complaints were lodged against the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Ghana Water Limited (GWL), with quality-of-service issues dominating consumer concerns.

ECG accounted for 735 complaints, out of which 726 were resolved, representing a 98.76 per cent success rate. GWL recorded 169 complaints and resolved 166, translating into a 98.22 per cent resolution rate.

Mr Agbezudor said the Commission remains committed to ensuring consumers are not left helpless in the face of persistent outages, unstable electricity supply, and water shortages.

The report revealed that service reliability challenges, including persistent power outages, low voltage, unstable electricity supply, no water flow, and pipe bursts, constituted 98 per cent of all complaints received during the period under review.

PURC noted that the sharp increase in complaints over the past two years reflects heightened public awareness of consumer rights as well as worsening service challenges confronting households and businesses.

Data from the report shows that complaints rose significantly from 316 in 2022 to 904 in 2026. Despite the increase, the Commission steadily improved its resolution rate from 89.87 per cent in 2022 to the current 98.67 per cent, the highest recorded in the last five years.

According to Philip Agbezudor, the increasing number of complaints also demonstrates growing public confidence in the Commission’s ability to intervene and secure redress for consumers.

The report further highlighted a major shift in how consumers engage with the Commission. More than 95 per cent of complaints were submitted through digital platforms such as WhatsApp and email, while phone-ins accounted for 3.88 per cent.

Walk-ins, written complaints, and customer service centre reports formed only a small fraction of total engagements.

PURC described the trend as a strong indication of growing dependence on technology-driven consumer protection systems and called for further investment in ICT-based complaint management platforms.

Beyond complaint resolution, the Commission undertook extensive monitoring exercises across districts, communities, and industrial facilities in the Volta and Oti regions.

The monitoring exercise covered ECG offices in Ho, Sogakope, Akatsi, Keta, and Denu, as well as GWL offices in Ho East, Ho West, Sogakope and Keta. While customer service delivery showed signs of improvement, PURC identified infrastructure deficits, meter shortages, and logistical constraints as major operational challenges affecting utility providers.

The Commission noted that although some progress has been made in customer service delivery, utility providers must urgently address recurring operational bottlenecks that continue to affect consumers and businesses.

The Commission also inspected 28 small and medium-scale enterprises and industrial facilities, where businesses expressed concern over erratic power supply, voltage fluctuations, and high estimated billing.

Many of the businesses visited reportedly rely heavily on generators to sustain operations, while others continue to struggle with unreliable water supply and dependence on boreholes.

As part of its consumer engagement strategy, PURC visited 31 communities and interacted with 332 consumers on issues relating to billing systems, customer service, and service reliability.

The report acknowledged improvements in mobile payment adoption and billing systems but noted that power outages and inconsistent water supply remain persistent concerns in several communities.

PURC also highlighted specific interventions carried out during the quarter, including the replacement of a faulty meter at Ho Titrinu valued at GH¢1,400 and the installation of a 50kV at Mafi Adzorgekope costing GH¢80,000.

The Commission said the interventions directly improved service delivery to affected consumers.

Speaking on the interventions, Philip Agbezudor said the Commission will continue to push for practical solutions that directly improve the lives of consumers in underserved communities.

In addition to regulatory oversight, PURC expanded its pro-poor water intervention programme by drilling and handing over 12 boreholes to communities in the Hohoe Municipality, Ho Central Municipality, and Akatsi South District.

The boreholes, each fitted with a 10,000-litre water tank, overhead standpipes, and ground pipes, are expected to serve about 5,000 residents who previously relied on unsafe water sources

Mr Agbezudor described the water projects as part of PURC’s broader social intervention strategy aimed at improving access to safe drinking water in deprived communities across the Volta and Oti regions.

The Commission disclosed that an additional five boreholes in the Agortime/Ziope District are ready for commissioning in the second quarter of the year.

PURC concluded that the first quarter performance demonstrates a proactive regulatory approach aimed at protecting consumers, strengthening oversight, and improving the delivery of electricity and water services across the Volta/Oti Region.