The Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) in the three regions of Ahafo, Bono and Bono East has recorded 931 consumer complaints filed against power providers for equipment damage.
These equipment damage are mostly due to unplanned power outages.
“When we receive complaints we need to investigate but some customers think once a case is reported, there must be immediate compensation. No, it doesn’t work like that, Regional Complaints Manager of the PURC in Sunyani Isaac Osei Agyemang told Daily Guide.
He said frequent power outages negatively affects consumers and admitted that there have been power surges which he said are unplanned by the supplier, NEDCO, and in some cases it had led to appliance damages.
He said that most consumers lack the courage to report to the utility operators or go to the PURC for compensation.
Mr. Agyemang said that most of the complaints received this year are mainly about over billing.
He asked consumers to be bold and report their damaged equipment to providers such as the ECG, NEDCO and Ghana Water Company and when their concerns are not addressed they could appeal to the PURC to intervene.
He asked consumers to provide specific information when they suspects their equipment were damage as a result of unplanned outage or water issues, saying “take picture of the damaged equipment, record the time the outage occurred, record the date and file a complaint with the utility operators or the commission for redress.”
According to him, Legislative Instrument establishing the commission, mandates the PURC to use five days to investigate and take action but admitted that sometimes it goes beyond the mandatory period.
He observed that most times people are not reporting their damaged equipment due to mistreatment by the staff of utility operators when reports are made.
He refuted legations that the commission is not doing enough to educate the public on their rights and what to do in an event of unplanned disruptions.
FROM Daniel Y. Dayee, Sunyani