The Electricity Company of Ghana Limited (ECG) has urged its customers to practice energy consumption habits during their stay at home amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Volta Regional Public Relations Officer of the company, Benjamin Obeng Antwi, believes this would help ease energy expenditure and as well enable customers to fully enjoy the benefits of the government’s energy relief package. 

"If you have a relief package of GhC100 based on your March consumption for April, May and June, if you conserve energy and use exactly GhC100 worth of credit for these three months, you would save a lot of money by not having to buy power,” he stated in a press release copied to myjoyonline.com.  

He, therefore, urged customers to iron clothes in bulk, use energy conservation bulbs, turn off gadgets when not in use and desist from the frequent opening of fridges within a period of time in order to conserve energy.

He explained that customers who did not benefit from the energy relief package on their first purchase in May would have it reflected on their subsequent purchases.

“Some customers didn’t get [Energy relief package] because they didn’t purchase power in April and this prevented them from reporting their March consumption which was the benchmark.”

“In view of this, they reported their consumption for the months of March and April on their first purchase in May and this enabled them to enjoy their relief package on their second consumption”, he said.

Mr Antwi implored customers who owe the energy distribution company to settle their debts, adding that postpaid customers who are eligible to benefit from the 50% energy relief package should also endeavour to pay the remaining 50%. 

“Customers can download the ECG Power App or dial USSD Shortcode *226# to pay their bills,” he added. 

He, however, advised the citizenry to be extra careful in dealing with electricity as the rains set in. 

“Avoids touching electrical cables you see on the ground, avoid overloading sockets, avoid taking refuge under trees with electrical overhead cables during rainfalls.”

He further implored customers to “try as much as possible to wear slippers in the kitchen especially in areas close to the fridges to prevent electrocution from water that leaks out of the fridge and use raincoats or plastic umbrellas instead of umbrellas with metallic handles during rainfall to prevent lightening surge.”