The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has announced that it facilitated the recovery of over GH¢4.2 million for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the first half of 2025 through its structured complaints resolution interventions.
The regulatory body also ensured that over GH¢173,000 was returned to utility consumers, reinforcing its role as a mediator and watchdog in Ghana’s utility services landscape.
Data released at the Commission’s mid-year briefing revealed that 700 complaints were filed in the Greater Accra Region between January and June, of which 689 were resolved, representing a resolution rate of 98%.
“These figures reflect our ongoing efforts to protect both utility providers and consumers through fair, transparent, and effective dispute resolution.
“By holding service providers accountable and ensuring consumer rights are upheld, we are enhancing the credibility and responsiveness of Ghana’s utility sector.”
Gifty Bruce-Nelson, PURC’s Greater Accra Regional Manager
A majority of complaints, 450 cases were related to service quality, which included erratic power supply, broken poles, faulty transformers, power fluctuations, low water pressure, and no water flow.
Other recurring issues involved billing anomalies, property damage due to outages, and problems with malfunctioning meters.
Bruce-Nelson emphasized that proactive monitoring and community engagement had made it easier for the Commission to swiftly address these concerns.
“Our interventions are not limited to formal reports. We’re actively engaging communities and utility centres to identify issues in real-time.”
Gifty Bruce-Nelson, PURC’s Greater Accra Regional Manager
PURC highlighted an uptick in electronic complaint submissions, which rose from 233 in the first half of 2024 to 406 in the same period of 2025.
This growth, despite a general decline in total complaints from 804 in 2024 to 700 in 2025, was attributed to increased digital access and public education campaigns.
Other submission methods included 117 telephone complaints, 56 walk-ins, 53 written letters, 21 toll-free hotline calls, and four field submissions during on-site visits.
The rise in digital engagement aligns with the Commission’s broader goal of simplifying public access to regulatory services.
ECG Leads Complaint Statistics
Of all the cases lodged, ECG accounted for 555, or 79%, making it the most frequently cited utility provider.
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) followed with 109 complaints (16%), while 36 cases (5%) were filed against consumers, mainly relating to meter tampering and illegal connections.
“This breakdown provides us with useful diagnostic data.
“It helps us identify trends and take targeted action, whether it’s infrastructure upgrades, improved customer service, or regulatory enforcement.”
Gifty Bruce-Nelson, PURC’s Greater Accra Regional Manager
As part of its 2025 operational strategy, the Commission conducted 20 site visits to ECG service centres and communities as part of prepaid, industrial, and residential monitoring efforts.
While most areas experienced stable power supply, the Volo community in particular reported persistent outages lasting up to two days.
The Commission identified a legacy metering issue in Volo, where most postpaid meters are SHEP meters, a model not integrated into ECG’s central system.
“This is one example where the technical structure of a legacy system directly affects reliability.
“We’ve flagged it for immediate attention in our recommendation to ECG.”
Gifty Bruce-Nelson, PURC’s Greater Accra Regional Manager
In 2024, ECG recovered GH¢11.4 million through PURC-facilitated interventions in Greater Accra.
That year also saw GH¢552,972.69 paid out to consumers in compensation, demonstrating the Commission’s dual role in upholding fairness across the utility spectrum.
On a broader national scale, ECG managed to recover GH¢29.08 million out of a GH¢33.8 million debt portfolio from 17 institutions last year, thanks in part to PURC’s oversight.
In that period, 1,444 complaints were filed nationwide, with the Commission maintaining an impressive 99% resolution rate.
Going forward, PURC aims to deepen stakeholder engagement while leveraging technology to improve tracking, response times, and service enforcement.
The Commission is also working closely with utility companies to address systemic gaps that contribute to recurring consumer dissatisfaction.
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