ECG warns of rising vandalism and illegal electricity connections in Tema Region
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the Tema Region has raised concerns over a surge in vandalism and illegal electricity connections, warning that the situation is disrupting power supply and costing the company millions of cedis.
The company said persistent acts of vandalism targeting critical installations such as transformers, fuses and cables continue to interrupt electricity supply and inconvenience customers across several communities.
Rising incidents and financial losses
The General Manager of ECG’s Tema Regional Office, Mr Emmanuel Ankomah, in an interview on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, described illegal connections and transformer vandalism as major operational challenges.
Mr Ankomah disclosed that between the last quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, eight transformers were vandalised, with each replacement costing close to GH¢200,000.
He explained that vandals typically target valuable components such as copper or aluminium windings and steel cores, which are removed and sold.
He said such activities place excessive strain on equipment, often resulting in faults and outages.
“These illegal activities place undue stress on transformers and frequently lead to equipment damage and power interruptions,” he stated.
He further revealed that some perpetrators disguise themselves as ECG personnel to gain access to installations and carry out theft.
Call for public support
The ECG official appealed to the public to support efforts to safeguard power infrastructure by reporting suspicious activities.
He cautioned against illegal connections and other unlawful practices, stressing that under Executive Instrument (EI) 38 of the Appointment of Public Prosecution Instrument (2010), ECG has the legal mandate to prosecute offenders.
“We urge the public to remain vigilant. Anyone seen tampering with transformers, particularly at odd hours, should be reported to ECG or the nearest police station,” he advised.
Mr Ankomah said ECG’s loss control teams conduct regular patrols to clamp down on illegal connections, while new digital tools are being deployed to enhance maintenance and fault detection.
Infrastructure expansion and upgrades
On infrastructure expansion, he revealed that ECG is constructing new 11kV and 33kV feeders to ease pressure on existing lines, particularly in fast-growing areas such as Afienya, Mataheko and surrounding communities.
He added that overstretched distribution lines in areas like Afienya have been identified, with proposals submitted for upgrades to meet growing demand.
Mr Ankomah said that with the recent transformer upgrade at the Lashibi Primary Substation, ECG is better positioned to address rising electricity demand in the Tema Region.
"Our goal is to improve reliability and provide better service to our customers,” he said.
He indicated that the project is expected to benefit approximately 20,000 customers upon completion.
To further improve service delivery, ECG has also established four additional operational centres to ensure quicker response to customer complaints.
He added that the upgrade is expected to raise total capacity to about 60 MVA, improving flexibility and reliability in power distribution.
