Some concerned residents of Akosombo Combine, Mangoase, Tuska, Afabeng, Akyease, New Powmu, and Ganakpe in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region have served notice to take down all newly installed NEDCo prepaid metres by the Volta River Authority (VRA).
The concerned communities also want President John Dramani Mahama to institute an independent investigative body, excluding the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, to investigate the accumulated electricity debts and excessive service charges from the VRA.
Their notice comes after a formal petition sent to the Minister of Energy and Green Transition to intervene in a long-standing dispute with the VRA over what they claim are unfair billing practices and a lack of accountability from VRA, which is yet to be settled.
Addressing the media at Akosombo, the lead advocate for the concerned communities, Michael Worlanyo, who indicated that the root of the problem began when VRA installed electricity meters in the communities that were not calibrated, says the faulty meters led to the accumulation of unusually high electricity debts on individual accounts, which has been confirmed by the PURC.
“We are five communities, and the VRA supplies us with electricity. Some postpaid meters were brought to us 12 years ago, but the consumption was unusual, and we petitioned the previous government, and PURC was asked to come and investigate.
“Some of us used to pay like GH¢250, 10 years ago, but when the meters were changed, our bills dropped to GH¢90. Prepaid meters were brought to us without our notice. They mounted the metres with huge debts on them. Some people owed over GH¢10,000 according to the new prepaid meters. We are appealing to President Mahama and the Energy Minister to institute an independent body to investigate.”
According to the concerned communities, even though the PURC managed to intervene after public protests, getting meters replaced with prepaid ones for the third time, the PURC has not been fair in its dealings with the affected communities, as it continues to charge them over GH¢50 as a service charge on every purchase made.
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