The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) says it has begun the process to ascertain the liabilities and possibility of compensation for consumers in recognition of any loss occasioned by the recent erratic power supply popularly called dumsor.
According to the commission, this is being done in accordance with its regulatory processes, and has consequently called on consumers to report any case of damaged equipment to the nearest ECG/NEDCo office for the appropriate action, failing which such a report may be forwarded to the PURC for redress.
The action followed the conclusion of the preliminary investigations conducted into the causes of “recent erratic power supply and system collapse experienced in the country.”
In a statement released last Friday, the PURC indicated that it established through its regulatory monitoring that the erratic power supply coupled with low voltages, especially during peak hours, were caused by a number of factors across the value chain of electricity supply.
The statement said these included, but are not limited to, technical challenges in the natural gas supply network, new transmission infrastructure being constructed on the National Interconnected Transmission System (NITS), planned and unplanned maintenance activities on aspects of the NITS, reduction in reactive power support in the mid-portion of the country, and emergency upgrade and modification works on the NITS to increase reactive power support and improve voltages in the mid-portion of the country.
The commission assured key stakeholders and the public of its commitment to protecting the interests of consumers and utility service providers.
By Ernest Kofi Adu