The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has commenced an exercise to clamp down on customers who engage in power theft across its operational areas in Volta and Oti Regions. 

The ECG monitoring team led by the Volta and Oti Regional General Manager, Emmanuel Lumor, would visit households, hostels, hotels, cold stores, pubs, restaurants, institutions to fish out customers who would connect to the national electricity grid with authorisation, hence using power for free.

Speaking to the media, Mr Lumor, indicated that the initiative is in line with the Energy Ministry's objective of curtailing power theft in the country.

"Following the inauguration of the national task force against illegal connection on September 14, 2021, by the Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the region has also commenced a special exercise to support the activities of the task force to help the company curb the menace of illegal connection”, he said.

He added that the exercise which was conducted in the power distribution's eleven operational districts in the Volta and Oti was to audit the electricity connections and check the integrity of meters and service cables used by customers. 

Some 18 customers were arrested during the exercise and would be surcharged accordingly for power theft.

Mr Lumor stated that “some of the illegalities uncovered during this exercise include meter bypass, unauthorized and direct connections and meter tampering”.

He bemoaned the replicate effects of illegal connections on the revenue mobilisation of the company adding it cripples the company's efforts to embark on projects aimed at enhancing service delivery, that will inure to the benefit of customers.

“As a company, we have to pay our suppliers like GRIDCO, VRA and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) when we purchase power from them to distribute to our cherished customers, hence consuming power illegally prevents the company from getting money to pay these key players on the electricity supply chain”, he added.

“When people connect to the national grid illegally, it overloads our transformers and leads to low voltage and interruption of power supply to our cherished customers”, he further stated.

He, therefore cautioned the general public to desist from illegal connections, which is a criminal act and liable to prosecution, according to Executive Instrument (EI) 38 of the Appointment of Public Prosecution Instrument (2010). 

He detailed that illegal connection is a very dangerous act that can cause fire outbreaks and the loss of life through electrocution.

Mr Lumor entreated the public to partner with ECG in its fight against illegal connection by reporting people who engage in such acts to the nearest ECG office or call the national task force via telephone number 0551444011.

“There is a 6% commission of any amount we recoup as an incentive for anyone who gives us reliable information to unearth any illegality”, he said.