Tampering with power supply phase illegal - PURC warns public
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has warned the public to refrain from engaging unprofessional people to change the electricity supply phase to their premises in an attempt to restore power during a ‘phase off situation’ in their communities.
The regulator maintained that any attempt to tamper with the connections on the electricity poles and other installations of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), such as transformers and electricity meters, was against the regulations of the PURC (legislative instruments 2413 and 1816).
The PURC said individuals found guilty of altering their power supply phase would face punitive measures, including instant disconnection and financial penalties.
At a workshop with assembly and unit committee members in Accra last Tuesday, the Director in-charge of Regional Operations and Consumer Services at PURC, Alhaji Jabaru Abukari, said it was not only criminal but also dangerous to tamper with the phases or the transformers to restore power to their premises.
The workshop
The workshop, organised by the Greater Accra Region Office of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission was to educate assembly and unit committee members from Ga East on the regulator's operations and responsibilities.
The interactive session provided an opportunity for participants to clarify concerns and seek answers regarding the activities of utility providers.
The workshop aimed to foster a collaborative relationships among stakeholders, ensuring effective communication and cooperation.
Attendees included representatives from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), who actively participated in the discussions.
Alhaji Abukari stated that interfering with the network of the utilities was a national security issue because the utility installations belonged to the state.
“Even the utility officials or workers cannot climb the electricity pole without a work order sheet that provides the authority to do so.
“Majority of the unauthorised phase off changes often happen in the night because the light is gone off and the person feels that I do not need to sleep in the dark and so let me get an electrician to change from either yellow, blue and red,” he said.
He said the utilities balance the load on the transform by putting each customer on a specific phase in an attempt to ensure efficient flow of power supply.
Towards that, he said any interference could cause disturbance in the power distribution channel and sometimes destroy the transformer.
He said the best practice in a phase off situation was to report to the utility and when the issue was still not fixed for some time it could be reported to the PURC.
Distorting power flow
The ECG Manager at Kwabenya, Kwesi Amend Adams, said changing the phases without approval distort power flow in the electricity network within the community.
He added that the ECG was committed to providing quality, reliable and safe electricity services to support the economic growth and national development.
Model utility
The Greater Accra Regional Manager of the PURC, Gifty Bruce-Nelson, said the commission was a step away from becoming a model utility regulatory institution in Africa.
She said the PURC was an independent body established under the Public Regulatory Commission Act 1997(Act 538), to regulate and oversee the provision of utility services in the country.