From today, April 1, 2018, consumers should be paying less for the electricity they consume as the ECG begins the implementation of the reduction in tariffs announced in March this year.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) on March 5, 2018, announced a reduction in electricity tariffs of between 17 and 30 percent for residential and commercial consumers.
Though the reduction was scheduled to take effect on March 15, the ECG suggested that its monthly billing system couldn’t allow the immediate implementation.
The Managing Director of the ECG, Ingineer Samuel Boakye-Appiah in an earlier press conference explained why the reduction will start on Sunday, April 1, 2018.
He explained that “the monthly billing cycle of the prepayment metering system does not technically allow ECG to implement the review in the middle of the month”.
“Consequently, prepaid customers of ECG should note that the programming of the billing system will refund the reduction from the implementation date of the 15th to 31st March 2018. When they deposit cash or purchase electricity from 1st April 2018 onwards,” he added.
Ingineer Boakye-Appiah pointed out that, the prepayment system will detect aggregate purchase for consumers on the month of March, and then compute the reduction due them, from the effective date of 15th March to 31st March.
“This will be refunded to you on your next visit to vending point”.
Ingineer Boakye-Appiah disclosed that, ECG has catalogued all unit consumption and expected cost in a “reckoner” which clearly explains how the tariff is calculated and billed regardless of the type of metering.
“This will be displayed at all district offices and revenue centers nationwide to guide consumers on their electricity purchase”.
Reacting to a question, however, Ingineer Boakye-Appiah gave the strongest indication that the power distributing company will not hesitate to go back to the PURC if the the implementation of the tariff reduction leads to losses.
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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana