The Ashanti Strategic Business Unit (SBU) of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has raked in over GH¢1.4 million from illegal connection and power theft in the region.

This followed the launch of “Operation Collect or Correct,” in October, this year, to check illegal connections and non-payment of electricity bills by customers.

In all, the SBU recovered an amount of GH¢1,470,116.59 from power theft alone in the region.

Theft

The Communications Manager for Ashanti SBU, Mr. Erasmus Kyere Baidoo, told the Daily Graphic that power theft was rampant in the region as some residents tampered with their meters to illegally consume power.

In all, he said the Revenue Protection Unit visited 1,487 accounts and screened 1,040 of which 261 were found to have been involved in illegal connection.

He said the total amount of power to have been stolen by the 261 residents was around 1,946,795 kilowatts which amounted to about GH¢2, 045,682.46.

According to Mr. Baidoo, an amount of GH¢575, 000.00 was yet to be recovered from the affected residents.

Illegality

Some of the illegal acts recorded, according to him, were meter by-pass, meter tampering, unauthorised service connection, and damaging of meter.

Campaign

In the meantime, he said the SBU had intensified the campaign to arrest recalcitrant customers who have the penchant to steal electricity and deny the company its needed revenue.