Students of UENR being taken through PURC new app
The Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) is encouraging the public to utilize the Tariff Reckoner Application to monitor their consumption rates (measured in Kilowatt hours or units) when purchasing electricity from ECG/NEDCO.
This initiative aims to prevent customers from being shortchanged by utility providers and their authorized agents.
The Commission emphasises that the app is specifically designed to assist consumers in determining their consumption rates and calculating the corresponding tariff they should pay when buying electricity.
They urge individuals to download the app from the Google Play Store/Apple Store.
Bono Regional Manager of the PURC, Patrick Antwi, highlighted the necessity of the app due to numerous complaints received from customers regarding inaccurate power allocations, especially during tariff review periods.
He mentioned that the app was introduced in 2022 to address these issues and reduce the number of complaints received by the Commission.
“The app has come to solve misunderstanding between customers and vendors of water and electricity companies leading to pile up of complaints on our desks, adding that last year the commission received 138 complaints on this issue though the app was introduced in 2022 to help solve the problem,” he said.
Mr. Antwi further explained that utility tariffs are reviewed quarterly, considering factors such as inflation, the weighted average cost of gas, current economic conditions, and exchange rates.
He advised customers to track their electricity consumption levels for a month to input the correct quantity of units and determine the corresponding price they need to pay.
Bono Regional Public Relations Officer PURC, Julia Antwi, emphasised that the Tariff Reckoner app can accurately calculate the amount of kilowatts or gallons of water a customer receives for a specific payment.
She clarified that customers consuming zero to 30 kilowatts are classified as lifeline customers, while those consuming above 30 kilowatts are categorized as residential or non-residential customers.
“By understanding their customer type, individuals can input the desired unit of kilowatts and use the app to calculate the amount they need to pay,” she said.
During an outreach event at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Baffour Antoa Mensah, a lecturer in the electrical department, requested that commission officials educate various university groups on how to effectively utilize the app.
He highlighted the importance of educating groups such as university administrators association and UTAG to help them accurately calculate their consumption levels and corresponding tariffs.
Daniel Y. Dayee, Sunyani