PURC Reveals ECG Misinformed Ghanaians About Faulty Transformers Being Cause Of Dumsor
- A PURC Commissioner has revealed that ECG misinformed the public about 360 overloaded transformers being the cause of the erratic power supply
- According to Ishmael Edjekumhene, following an inspection of the transformers by the PURC, it was discovered that the claim was false
- The ECG has been fined GH¢5,868,000 for not providing a load-shedding timetable despite several calls for one
A Commissioner of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Ishmael Edjekumhene, has refuted claims by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) that some 360 transformers were beyond capacity.
The ECG had earlier alleged that some 360 transformers within its operational zone were overloaded and at risk of exploding.
Source: Twitter
Thus, they announced power cuts in their operational zones during 7 pm to 11 pm peak hours.
Subsequently, the ECG had stated that it was replacing the transformers within its operational zones and had refused to draw a load-shedding timetable claiming the erratic power supply was just a temporary inconvenience.
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However, responding to a question on Citi TV, Edjekumhene said no such thing had occurred.
He stated that the ECG had side-stepped the PURC to put that information into the public domain.
He said the PURC then contacted the ECG to confirm the information, to which the ECG relayed the exact information it had shared with the public.
However, the PURC, following routine checks on transformers in the ECG’s operational zone, has discovered that the transformers are not overloaded, as the ECG alleged.
According to Edjekumhene, the misinformation led to the ECG’s recent spat with the National Grid Company (GRIDCO) over the former’s refusal to comply with directives pertaining to load management.
PURC fines ECG bosses over Dumsor timetable
Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has fined the nine board members of the Electricity Company of Ghana GH¢5,868,000 for not providing a load-shedding timetable.
The fine is because the board members violated Regulation 39 of L.I. 2413, which requires prior notification to consumers before any power interruption.
PURC, in a letter on Monday, April 15, said there were 4,142 outages carried out within the fine period.
PURC said 165, representing 3.98 per cent of the total outages, were ECG-planned outages. Only 40 of the outages were preceded by public notices.
PURC also said 38 out of the 40 notices did not give the required three days' notice. Thus, the regulator is imposing a fine of 3,000 penalty units on the company for each breach it committed.
GRIDCo drags ECG to Energy Minister
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that GRIDCo had dragged the Electricity Company of Ghana to the Energy Minister's office for failing to produce the Dumsor timetable.
According to GRIDCo, the ECG's stubbornness puts the national power grid at risk of collapse.
They have urged the Energy Minister to discipline ECG and ensure it complies.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
