NEDCo probes 3000 illegal meters in Sunyani: to crack down on perpetrators

 The Northern Elec­tricity Distribution Company (NED­Co) has uncovered more than 3000 illegal meters being usedin Sunyani in the Bono Region.

This means these meters are not captured in its system, so their owners are enjoying electricity free of charge, creating revenue short­fall for the company.

Consequently, NEDCo has launched investigation into the matter to ascertain how the illegal meters were procured by their users.

The Sunyani Area Manager of NEDCo, Eugene Addo-Odoi, who disclosed thisto journalists on the sidelines of a stakeholders’ forum held here in Sunyani on Friday, said the illegal meters, both prepaid and post-paid, were uncovered last year.

The forum was organised by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission in partnership with Volta River Authority/NEDCo, to address challenges confronting power distribution in the supply chain and how to address them.

It was attended by all stakehold­ers, including Self Help Electrifi­cation Project (SHEP) under the Ministry of Energy; officials from VRA/NEDCo; and members of the general public.

Mr Addo-Odoi explained that the use of illegal meters was adversely affecting the cash flow of the company.

He could not tell how much revenue had been lost due to the use of the illegal meters, but gave the assurance the loss could be known after investigations current­ly going on.

To halt the practice of ille­gal meter use, the Sunyani Area Manager said the company was taking steps to get those with illegal meters to return them to be regularised.

According to Mr Addo-Odoi, NEDCo had declared 2024 a period of grace for those with the illegal meters to return them before the law would catch up with them.

He said it was free to acquire a meter from NEDCo, but due to delays in acquiring it, some people resorted to “connection” (middle)

 men.

Giving a highlight of the operations of NEDCo last year, he said the company lost over GH¢211,000 through meter theft, with 88 meters stolen in the Bono Region.

The Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu Mrs Banahene, who was alarmed by the issue, called on the NEDCo to streamline the pro­cess of acquiring meters to curb their illegal sale.

She emphasised that all bureau­cratic tendencies fuelling the illegal transaction must be eliminated to stop the matter.

The minister said her office was inundated withcomplaints from residents last year, which prompted the company to task its officials to find amicable solutions to the matter.

The Bono Regional Manager of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission(PURC), Frederick Antwi, appealed to the Volta River Authority to regularly sensitise their customers on their operations to enable them appreciate the issues.

The PURC said since 2018, it had received about five thousand complaints 90 per cent of which had been resolved.

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