PURC says it has no dedicated system to monitor usage of ECG prepaid credits
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has launched nationwide investigations into complaints of disappearing prepaid electricity credits, acknowledging that it lacks a dedicated system to routinely track such losses.
The Commission says it has dispatched officers across the country to validate consumer complaints and is engaging the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to determine the cause of the reported anomalies and possible remedies for affected customers.
Speaking in a radio interview on Citi FM on Thursday, February 26, 2026, the Director of Research and Corporate Affairs at PURC, Dr Eric Obutey, said the Commission became aware of the growing public concern earlier in the week and immediately initiated field inquiries.
“We got wind of this information on Monday, and we have invited ECG to speak to us,” he said. “Before they come, we have deployed our men to the field, both at the regional offices and the head office, so that we are armed independently with data.”
Dr Obutey explained that although PURC monitors power supply reliability using internationally recognised benchmarks such as the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) and related indicators, there is no specific index for tracking the depletion rate of prepaid electricity credits.
“This current issue of buying credit and then losing the credit within a particular period, we do not have any index for that particular one,” he said, noting that such matters are typically addressed after formal complaints are lodged.
In response to concerns about a potential gap in consumer protection, Dr Obutey said the Commission handles metering and billing issues on a case-by-case basis. Engineers and complaints officers are dispatched to investigate, and meters are tested where necessary.
He acknowledged that PURC does not conduct routine large-scale audits of prepaid meters across communities, citing constraints in laboratory capacity and manpower. Where broader calibration and testing exercises are required, the Commission collaborates with the Ghana Standards Authority.
On suggestions that the regulator should introduce more proactive and random audits — similar to the spot checks undertaken by the National Petroleum Authority at fuel stations — Dr Obutey conceded that more frequent nationwide testing may be warranted.
“Point well taken,” he said. “Maybe we need to do it more frequently and across the country, but we do not have the manpower to go to every household.”
Addressing concerns about compensation, Dr Obutey assured consumers that if investigations confirm wrongful depletion of prepaid credits, affected customers would have their lost units restored — though not in cash.
“If ECG is found to have made your credit run faster than normal, they will give you back the lost credit,” he said. “It could mean that when you buy power next time, you receive additional credit to make up for what was lost.”
He disclosed that a similar situation occurred in 2023, after which affected consumers had their credits reinstated following regulatory intervention.
The investigations and meetings with the Electricity Company of Ghana took place on February 26, 2026, with PURC indicating it would brief the public on the outcome once engagements with the utility provider are concluded.
Dr Obutey said the Commission expects to provide an update “today or tomorrow” after discussions with ECG are finalised and findings from the field investigations are consolidated.
