Residents of Sogakope in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region on Friday stormed the district office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to protest what they described as persistent overbilling, estimated billing practices and poor customer service.
The protest, organised by a pressure group known as the Concerned Citizens of Sogakope, attracted more than 200 residents who marched through the principal streets of the district capital before presenting a petition to the management of the power distribution company.
The demonstrators cited a range of concerns, including unexplained electricity bills, inaccurate meter readings, delays in resolving customer complaints, prolonged replacement of faulty meters, unfair disconnection practices and inadequate communication on outages and tariff charges.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “ECG is exploiting us,” “Stop the abnormal light bills now,” and “We need correct readings for every meter,” the protesters expressed frustration over what they described as years of unresolved challenges confronting electricity consumers in the area.
The demonstrators, clad in red and black attire, accused the company of imposing excessive bills on consumers through estimated billing systems and demanded greater transparency and accountability in its operations.
Some residents who spoke to journalists alleged that electricity bills that previously ranged between GHS150 and GHS300 had, in some instances, increased to between GHS2,000 and GHS4,000, with others reportedly receiving bills exceeding GHS10,000.
Mr Bernard Cudjoe, spokesperson for the group, who presented the petition to Mr Mawunyo Kudzo Akwetey, the Sogakope District Manager of ECG, said the demonstration was intended to draw attention to the hardships consumers were experiencing.
“Consumers deserve accurate billing, quality service and prompt resolution of complaints. We are demanding fairness, transparency and accountability from ECG,” he stated.
The petition outlined key demands, including accurate billing based on actual meter readings, timely communication on planned and unplanned outages, prompt resolution of customer complaints and billing disputes, improved customer service and transparent electricity charges.
The group also called for faster replacement of faulty meters, swift response to emergency faults, fair disconnection and reconnection procedures and intensified public education on ECG’s operations and tariffs.
Mr Cudjoe said the group expected the ECG to take immediate steps to address the concerns raised and restore public confidence in its services.
He disclosed that the group had given the company a three-month ultimatum to respond to the issues outlined in the petition, warning that failure to do so could trigger further demonstrations.
The protest, dubbed “Say No to Abnormal Light Bills and Estimated Bills Demonstration,” was conducted peacefully under heavy security supervision.
More than 50 police personnel were deployed to provide security and traffic management throughout the exercise, which ended without any reported incidents.
Residents and organisers commended the police for their professionalism and role in maintaining law and order during the demonstration.
GNA
