Ishmael Edjekumhene, a Commissioner of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), has refuted the claims by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) that 630 transformers are overloaded.
In a statement dated Monday, March 11, 2024, ECG said 630 distribution transformers within communities in its operational areas are at full capacity due to increased demand.
However, the electricity supplier assured the public that efforts were being made to solve the issue.
Mr Edjekumhene expressed surprise at the electricity suppliers’ announcement that the overloaded transformers are the cause of frequent power outages across the country.
He said a visit to the majority of the transformers showed no sign of overload.
“So, we were just following up on information that ECG itself has put into the public domain which the regulator wasn’t aware. So, when we wrote to the ECG, if that wasn’t the case they should probably have said that that wasn’t the case. But they gave us all the information.
“We have gone out to all the transformers, at least a majority of the transformers and it is turning out to be that those transformers were not overloaded,” he stated.
An earlier statement from PURC provided analyses that showed a majority of the outages between 7 pm to 11 pm were the result of load management operations by GRIDCo and faults unrelated to overloaded transformers.
This follows a GH¢5, 868,000 fine imposed on board members of ECG for failing to publish statutory notice of planned outages.