The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has successfully recovered over GH¢4.4 million on behalf of utility providers and customers in the Greater Accra Region, highlighting the Commission’s critical role in balancing consumer protection with utility accountability.
Speaking at a media briefing in Accra, Madam Gifty Bruce-Nelson, Greater Accra Regional Manager of PURC, disclosed that GH¢4,295,445.64 was recovered for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) following interventions in customer disputes, while GH¢173,986.60 was refunded to customers who had lodged complaints, bringing the total value of resolved cases to GH¢4,469,432.25.
The Commission recorded 1,178 complaints in 2025, including 1,107 against utility providers—888 against ECG and 219 against Ghana Water Limited (GWL)—and 71 against customers. Complaints spanned service delivery issues such as power outages, phase faults, transformer problems, broken poles, and sagging wires caused by bushfires and tree cutting, which accounted for 563 cases. Billing discrepancies and meter concerns were also significant contributors.
Madam Bruce-Nelson explained that most complaints were submitted electronically (647), with phone calls (196), written submissions (165), and walk-ins (115) also contributing to case reports. The Commission’s monitoring team visited 10 district ECG offices, 10 GWL offices, 54 private vending centres, and 87 industrial and commercial customers to assess service quality and reliability.
She urged customers to avoid illegal connections and water theft while calling on utility providers to ensure timely billing and stable service delivery.
“PURC’s interventions ensure fairness in the utility sector, protecting both service providers from unpaid debts and customers from service failures or billing errors,” Madam Bruce-Nelson said.
In comparison, 2024 saw ECG recover GH¢29,080,692.20 from debtors through PURC’s mechanisms, with customers receiving GH¢867,535.67 in refunds, reflecting the Commission’s ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability in utility services.
