The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has intensified its education to consumers on power theft, safe usage of electricity, among others, to ensure losses are reduced drastically.
To this end, its Tema Regional Office has held a customer education exercise at the Community One Market.
The education happened in two folds. They ncluded a radio discussion on the Market Community’s Aseda Radio as well as interactions with various groups of traders within the market.
The discussions centered on safe use of electricity, illegal connection and the need for the public to protect ECG equipment.
Speaking on illegal connection and its sanctions, the Public Relations Officer, ECG Tema Region, Sakyiwaa Mensah, said tampering with electric meter, bypassing it and connecting some equipment aside the meter are all considered as illegal connection.
She admonished customers to desist from doing anything about electricity supply on their own as they may end up causing lots of damage to their homes or to parts of the ECG network.
She added that all electric lines, electrical plants and equipment including the meters are to work together for the sole purpose of power supply to customers, hence tampering with any aspect of these could come with serious consequences.
Speaking on the safe use of electricity, Ms. Mensah stated that electricity is a relatively good product as it enables a number of activities and add up to quality of life.
However, if used badly, it can cause serious injuries to life, damage property and even loss of life.
She, therefore, advised customers facing challenges with regard to faulty meter or otherwise to endeavor to get professionals to handle the problems and not to take it upon themselves to fidget with the item.
She encouraged the public to “get and use the services of Electricians certified by the Energy Commission, so you can be assured that the right thing is being done to fix whatever electrical problems there may be”.
With regards to ECG equipment, she mentioned that there have been a number of instances where some unscrupulous people decide to steal fuses and cause damages to transformers.
She added that cables from poles and pylons and those connected to substations have also been targeted several times.