The Bono regional office of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) organized a three-day training programme for the regulated utilities on the Commission’s Tariff Reckoner and Electricity Consumption Estimator Applications (Apps).
The aim of the training was to highlight the importance and benefits of the Apps, get the regulated utilities to familiarize themselves with the Commission's Apps, and most importantly, seek positive feedback to help improve the App's performance.
Participants were taken through the PURC Apps and its functions, amounts to pay for electricity and water consumption, which could be computed in terms of consumption (kWh/m3) or in monetary terms (GHS8).
The Bono regional manager, Mr. Patrick Antwi emphasised the need for both regulated utilities and consumers to be trained on the functionality of the Applications. He noted that, this would help the regulated utilities to address some billing complaints from consumers, and at the same time solicit positive feedback from consumers to help improve on some functions of the Applications.
The station supervisor at the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) Sunyani Area, Mr. Sarquah commended the Commission on the Apps and gave an account of how he has been using the App to address concerns of some consumers. In his words, “I once had an angry customer walk into my office complaining bitterly that his bills were high and that NEDCo was cheating him, however, I used the Commission’s App and demonstrated to the customer the amount to be paid based on his consumption and he left satisfied”.
Mr. Francis Ofei, the Debt and Revenue officer at NEDCo commended the PURC for the introduction of these Applications, which would augment NEDCo's day-to-day activities aimed at addressing consumers’ doubts with respect to complaints of cheating. He encouraged consumers to use the PURC Electricity Consumption Estimator App to have a fair idea of how the various appliances used in their homes or businesses directly impact their consumption and monthly bills.
Mr. Pascal Tetteh a staff of Ghana Water Limited (GWL), indicated that, the Apps were user-friendly and subsequently suggested that the Commission should introduce a USSD code to access these Applications.
