ECG recovers over GH¢7m from illegal connections in Ashanti West

The Ashanti West Region of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) was in 2024, able to retrieve an amount of GH¢7,079,477.54 from customers, who consumed power illegally.

The exercise, which involved 2,306 customers such as hotels, cold stores, factories, restaurants, households and others, were surcharged after they were arrested for illegally connecting electricity and thereby, causing financial losses to the company.

Mr George Amoah, the Ashanti West Regional General Manager disclosed this at a media briefing in Kumasi.

He said illegal power connection was a major challenge, which was preventing the company from getting adequate money to pay key players in the electricity supply chain.

“As a company, we have to pay our suppliers when we purchase power from them to distribute to our cherished customers.

Hence, consuming power illegally prevents the company from getting money to pay these key players on the electricity supply chain”, he said.

Mr Amoah, said the Ashanti West Region of ECG had employed the services of a lawyer, who was helping to prosecute customers involved in illegal electricity connection activities.

“We have a lawyer to prosecute customers who engaged in illegal connection activities.

It was with the lawyer’s help that some of the money were retrieved,” Mr Amoah said.

In the quest to ensure quality and constant supply of electricity to customers, he said the company in 2024, spent a total of GH¢8,851,351.62 on projects such as extension of power to communities without electricity.

Also, system improvement works were carried out at Apaaso, Ampabame No. One, Kaasi and Asaago, while 40 transformers were upgraded at Abountem, Bokankye, Esreso, Feyiase, Trede and other areas.

Mr Amoah mentioned the conversion of two 11kv overhead networks and a feeder network to underground networks in three areas as part of the projects.

He said an amount of GH¢2,126,671.88 was spent on vegetation control activities like bush clearing, tree cutting and the creation of fire belts around wood poles to strengthen high tension and low voltage networks.

Despite the numerous efforts made by the ECG to supply quality and constant electricity to customers, Mr Amoah lamented the many challenges that interrupted quality service delivery to customers.

He listed illegal connection, illegal sale, transfer and installation of meters, vandalism of sub-stations and other ECG installations, destruction of cables by road contractors and other individuals as some of the challenges.

Additionally, right of way issues, perennial bush fires, domestic and commercial fire outbreaks, as some of the challenges that interrupted the quality of power supply to customers.

Mr Amoah appealed to citizens to report illegal connection activities to the nearest office of the ECG for a financial reward.

“The informer will be given six percent of the amount of money retrieved from the offender,” he said.

Source: GNA

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