The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has encouraged the public to utilise its Tariff Reckoner Application to monitor their consumption rates (measured in kilowatt-hours or units) when purchasing electricity from ECG/NEDCo.
The Bono Regional Manager of PURC, Mr Patrick Antwi, disclosed this at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), with the theme: PURC App Educational Tour. This initiative by the Commission aims to prevent customers from being short-changed by utility service providers and their authorised agents.
The app is specifically designed to assist consumers in determining their consumption rates and calculating the corresponding tariff they should pay when purchasing electricity. Mr Antwi added that he urged individuals to download the app from the Google Play Store or Apple Store.
Mr Antwi highlighted the necessity of the app, which will help address the numerous customer complaints with respect to inaccurate power allocations, especially during tariff review periods. He mentioned that the app was introduced in 2022 to address these issues and reduce the number of complaints received by the Commission. He added that the app has come to solve misunderstandings between customers, vendors, and utility service providers, which led to a back log of unresovled complaints.
Mr. Antwi further explained that utility tariffs are reviewed quarterly, considering factors such as inflation, the weighted average cost of gas, current economic conditions, and exchange rates. He advised customers to track their electricity consumption levels for a month to input the correct quantity of units and determine the corresponding price they need to pay.
The Bono Regional Public Relations Officer of PURC, Ms. Julia Antwi emphasised that the Tariff Reckoner app can calculate the kilowatts or gallons of water a customer receives for a specific payment. She clarified that customers consuming zero to 30 kilowatts of power are lifeline customers. Ms. Antwi noted that the customer categories are Residential, Non-residential, Special Load Tariff – Low Voltage (SLT-LV), Special Load Tariff – Medium Voltage (SLT-MV), and Special Load Tariff – High Voltage (SLT-HV). She added that by understanding their customer type, individuals can input the desired unit of kilowatts and use the app to calculate the amount they need to pay.
Ing. Baffour Antoa Mensah, a lecturer in the electrical department at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), requested that the Commission educate various university groups to effectively use the app. He highlighted the importance of educating groups such as the University Administrators Association and UTAG to help them accurately calculate their consumption levels and corresponding tariffs.