Commissioner Ishmael Edjekumhene of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission has refuted claims made by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) regarding overloaded transformers.
The ECG had previously stated that 360 transformers were overloaded, leading to intermittent power cuts. However, Mr. Edjekumhene expressed his surprise at this announcement, stating that this information was not previously reported to the PURC despite regular monitoring.
In a recent statement on the Citi Breakfast Show, Mr. Edjekumhene, who also serves as the Executive Director of the Kumasi Institute of Technology and Environment (KITE), revealed that after investigating the issue, it was found that the majority of transformers were not overloaded as claimed by the ECG. He mentioned that GRIDCO had given instructions, but ECG was not complying with these directives promptly.
This discrepancy has raised concerns about the transparency and communication between ECG and the regulatory bodies. The PURC had recently imposed hefty fines on former ECG board members for failing to notify consumers before power interruptions, as required by Regulation 39 of L.I. 2413.
It is essential for power distribution companies to provide accurate information to regulators to ensure efficient service delivery and prevent unnecessary inconvenience to consumers. The revelation that the overloaded transformers were not as reported by ECG highlights the need for improved communication and coordination within the energy sector in Ghana.
