Consumers deserve accurate billing for utility services

Utility services are so called because they have become part of our lives, and as such we cannot do without them. They have become indispensable.

The two major utilities which most Ghanaians rely on are energy or electricity and water, which consumers have to pay for regularly so as to make life more convenient and bearable.

In view of the importance of these two, any adjustment in cost to the consumer directly impacts the finances of families (electricity and water are not optional services people can decide to do without).

Thus it behoves the two major utilities providers – Ghana Water Limited (GWL) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG)-- to be accurate in their billing of consumers while also being consistent with the services they provide.

Over the years the billing of consumers has undergone several changes to make it more transparent, affordable and convenient to the end user. It is this revolution in the payment for utilities that has given birth to prepaid meters – a move from postpaid meters.

Another innovation is the electronic payment for utilities, thus affording the consumer the convenience of payment through an app on the phone at any location.

However, while digitalisation has been hailed as a convenient mode for accessing utility services, what has militated against it is the fact that our internet infrastructure is still in the development phase, and so we occasionally experience hiccups in our transactions.

But perhaps the challenge that has received the most uproar is the perception of overbilling of consumers, especially after the replacement of meters.

The Daily Graphic, therefore lauds the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) for spearheading an audit of the new smart prepaid meters being installed by the ECG and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company Limited (NEDCo) across the country, to settle the matter.

We pray that at the end of the exercise the audit is able to verify whether the new prepaid meters align with the PURC’s tariff reckoner, to ensure accurate billing and tariff application.

Also, if that has not already been done, we urge the PURC and the utility providers to streamline the installation of meters, so that any meter that is given to a consumer meets approved standards. 

Every smart meter that is being installed must not only reduce energy losses and enhance efficiency; it must also be properly calibrated so as not to overbill the consumer.

That is the only way we can strengthen the country's power distribution network to meet growing service connection demands, to promote a more sustainable energy ecosystem.

While we challenge the PURC and utility service providers to put in place measures that will not shortchange the consumer, we also urge electricity consumers to take the necessary steps such as ensuring  that officials who change their meters are indeed from the ECG, and take the final recording of the old meter before they are replaced and signed. 

Also, consumers must pay particular attention to the consumption rate of appliances they use, ensuring that they only procure energy-saving gadgets which are duly tested at the places of purchase and limit the use of outmoded appliances.

Consumers must also use energy-saving bulbs and only switch on lights when they are needed, putting out air conditioners, fans and the like when no one is in the room to use them.

As much as possible, we also encourage consumers to limit their use of second-hand or sometimes third-hand home appliances, as some of them are big energy drainers, which will definitely increase one’s electricity consumption.

Further, the frequent use of heat-generating appliances such as microwaves, pressing irons, water heaters, kettles and the like, are bound to increase one’s electricity consumption in a short time, and the sparingly these appliances are used in the home, the better for energy management.

All said and done, we enjoin the PURC which is mandated to safeguard consumers against unfair billing practices to maintain trust within the utility services, to do their work without fear or favour to enable consumers to pay fair charges.