The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has intensified efforts to educate the public on the causes and management of power outages, as the utility faces mounting pressure from consumers frustrated by recurring interruptions to supply.
The company has engaged key stakeholders across regions, bringing together traditional leaders, local authorities, business owners, and community representatives to discuss concerns relating to power supply, billing, infrastructure, and customer service.
In the Western Region, ECG’s Regional Manager, Ing. Emmanuel Justice Ofori, used a media engagement to walk journalists through how electricity distribution works, from bulk supply points through primary and distribution substations down to individual homes, while explaining the operational factors behind persistent outages.
He pointed to vegetation encroachment along transmission lines as a significant problem, noting that during the rainy season, trees and bamboo blown onto power lines trigger automatic safety shutdowns, causing sudden community-wide blackouts. He added that ECG has begun constructing a new line from Prestea to the Bogoso bulk supply point to ease an overloaded substation and improve reliability in the area.
The engagement drive follows a period of heightened outages across the country. A rainstorm that struck parts of Ghana in late March affected 57 feeders in Accra and Tema, with 38 subsequently restored and 19 still outstanding as of early April.
ECG officials also acknowledged specific consumer grievances raised during stakeholder sessions, including intermittent outages, faulty meters, and billing discrepancies, and gave assurances that steps are being taken to address each of them.
The company reiterated the importance of community cooperation, urging customers to report faults promptly, avoid illegal connections, and protect power infrastructure from vandalism. Customers can reach ECG through its call centre at 0302-611611, the ECG PowerApp, or its official social media handles.
