The Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) has directed the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) to effectively communicate to the public on the time table of the current load shedding exercise.
The commission said the two power bodies need to make consumers know when to have lights and when not to have lights.
The commission’s directives follow complains by some consumers of inconsistent power rationing in their areas and inability of VRA and NEDCo in ability to provide convincing answers on why some areas goes off when they are not supposed to.
PURC also reminded the utility service provider about a legislative instrument that states that, they cannot disconnect a consumer on the pole and urged stop it if they are engaging in such activities.
At an engagement meeting with journalists from Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions on the current power crises in Tamale, the commission said both VRA and NEDCo must channel any information regarding the load shedding frequently to the public.
The Director of Public Relations at PURC, Nana Yaa Jantua said the two bodies should either buy air time on radio stations or space in the national dailies to educate the public on the current power rationing.
Answering question on whether the current power situation was a self-inflected one, the Executive Secretary of PURC, Engineer Samuel Sarpong down play it saying the country had experienced load shedding in 1973 and 1983.
Mr Sarpong explained that there are good energy policies for both short time and long time but the commitment and financial closure to implement them remains the major challenge.
The PURC executive secretary however appealed to Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of conserving power. According to him, the country inability to conserve power resulted in the situation we find ourselves now and promised that PURC and other bodies will propagate energy conversation and institutions to use solar.
Mr Sarpong further explained that, the commission is exploring means and ways with other stakeholders to make good use of rivers dotted across the country for the generation of hydro power to augment the Akosombo and Bui.
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