ECG Dances in the Jaws of PURC to Spite Ghanaian Consumers

By Jean Lukaz MIH

Resolved: On Tuesday, 12th July, 2011, the ‘Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Customer Disservice Series’ released a new episode. The story not being an original script, a wrong meter reading resulted in a bill of GH¢ 57,000 instead of GH¢ 2,700, resulting in a power disconnection at the premises of CIT SYS Co Ltd.

According to ECG, it was an enforcement policy to disconnect high debtors immediately, even if it is their fault for not delivering electricity bills for over four months, for making the wrong reading [which is no reading at all but an estimation by a lazy meter reader], and for short-changing a Ghanaian consumer.

Even with instruction from the PURC, it took altercations, bigotry, chauvinism, arrogance and a snapshot of the old image of poor customer relations to get PURC’s instruction taken heed to. The ECG power suppliers are Conservatives that really know how to wield their power!

The protagonist, the District Manager of the ECG Makola Division was playing Don Quixote, feeling larger than life, and boasting of his power to disobey instructions from the PURC and the ECG Director of Customer Service.

The melodrama was a scene that depicted the ECG disconnection team robots blaming the ECG Billing and Claims Department for the inefficiency of the latter and claiming that the only way to get ECG to act responsively is for wrongfully disconnected consumers to rather put pressure on ECG as they (the disconnection robots) have to do their disconnection work anyway.

After all the corrections are made and the PURC instruction was finally heeded to, who now pays for lost business income resulting from the ECG billing mistake and the wrongful disconnection and when? PURC?

The prophesy of the Consumer Partnership was true as it has come to pass that the PURC lacks the drive to enforce its publicity stunts intended to make the organisation look consumer-friendly. Making laws and regulations is one thing and enforcing them is another ball game all together. The process of enforcement must go beyond letters and phone calls to bringing to book men behaving badly at ECG.

Look Who’s Siphoning My Power!

By Jean Lukaz MIH

I may sound alarmist but certainly many Ghanaian electricity consumers have not taken note of the poor quality of electricity that we are all receiving- a situation that obviously leaves us short-changed. The truth is, poor quality electricity is slow in output and takes longer to power certain appliances whilst costing consumers more.

To quote Brian Hitchen of the Sunday Express, UK, ‘technically minded people will scoff and say it is a figment of my imagination. But I’m sure that my electric kettle is taking longer to boil and that my toaster isn’t popping up quite as fast as it used to do. The electric kettle element is not scaled with limestone deposit and there are no lose wires or crumbs in the toaster…”

I decided to carry out a little research on this for one litre of water, boiled in a one-litre electric kettle of 1010 Watts and recorded the following times for different times on different days:

0630hrs- 05:39:40 secs
0645hrs- 06:30:48 secs
0700hrs- 06:30:81 secs
1300hrs- 06:59:46 secs
1600hrs- 06:45:53 secs
1930hrs- 07:12:72 secs
2045hrs- 08:22:38 secs

Obviously, my small research tells us something: it is expensive and a rip off to use your iron, toaster, kettle or any other heating appliance in the evening but cheaper when you use them before 6:30 am and 6:30 pm. Why do we have to pay a premium for using our appliances during peak hours and less during ‘off peak’ hours? How come the same electricity supply can last 05:39:40 seconds at one time and 08:22:38 seconds at another time to power the same appliance for the same task? Try this at home if you are a savvy consumer.

The world consumer movement has long recognised that electrical energy is of fundamental importance to public welfare and the well-being of consumers worldwide. The satisfaction of basic needs is one of the basic rights of consumers.

Electricity supply in Ghana has poor coverage and poor continuity of supply as well. That is, many people have no network connection and many of those that are connected face frequent interruptions of supply and ‘power surges’. In Ghana, consumers are constantly having their appliances damaged by such surges, for which no compensation has ever been paid. Well, can the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) be sued?. YES! YES!! YES!!... and as a class action…

Due to this malfeasance of a public utility provider, consumers (especially businesses) have made their own ‘off grid’ arrangements, thus switching between grids or dropping out of the system. All of a sudden, this misfortune has opened our third eye to the availability an usefulness of solar power, no bitters required.

If the ECG cannot live up to the ‘50 years of Freedom’, why can’t other providers be encouraged to participate and unbundle the mess? Competition among generators can take place even within the public sector (as in Norway) but unbundling is frequently associated with the introduction of private sector participation (PSP).

Despite the difficulties there have been some relatively successful examples of PSP. In Peru there have been improvements in coverage (nationally from 52 per cent in 1990 to 76 per cent in 2003) and long-term reductions in real prices since privatisation of the principal generators in 1990. Chilean electrification rose from 53 per cent in 1992 to 76 per cent in 1999, relying heavily on PSP. However, in both Peru and Chile, much of this improvement was due to government led programmes to improve rural coverage in particular since 1993. There have also been some less successful examples. In El Salvador, the period since privatisation in 1998 has seen high tariff increases (64 per cent) while tariff subsidies have been diminished progressively. In Honduras, the relatively recent introduction of PSP has had little, discernible impact on coverage. On the other hand, there are relatively successful publicly owned networks too even in relatively poor countries such as Costa Rica where coverage has been very high for a long period of time, or Morocco where rural electrification rose from 19 per cent in 1995 to 39 per cent in 1999.

It is still uncertain whether unbundling and PSP will constitute a long-term improvement but certainly, we do not need more power for ‘free night calls’ on our electricity bills so that our kettles, toasters and irons must work not to the detriment of a good night’s sleep and our consumer power.

NEWSFLASH: Electricity consumers across the country can now take action against the Electricity Corporation of Ghana and its affiliate institutions for erratic power supply. A new policy by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) and the Energy Commission, which seeks to regulate the number of hours electricity providers can interrupt power supply in a year has been outdoored after the recent Public Sector Policy Fair. Good work by PURC and Energy Commission but is it just an action plan that was designed to be rolled out as an outcome of the policy fair or is it just a publicity stunt designed to make them look good?

Well, Ghanaian Consumers, time to get your ready reckoner, a calculator, a watchman, and a Lawyer of course! How do you prove power outage in your area? Was the wiring of your house done with 'To Papa Preko'? Have you not overloaded your limited output sockets in your home? Does your ECG Meter give you a printout of the quality of electricity supply to your end that sometimes go up to +/-15% beyond the 220 volts? Was is your neighbour that caused the ECG supply pole to fall down and cut the supply? Is it a monkey that was caught between the wires that caused that blackout...and you blame ECG for the jumpy monkey? What a cheap publicity stunt!

**(with excerpts from Consumers International (CI) research material)

Generator safety: Deaths from CO poisoning on the rise

Deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning associated with the use of portable generators are increasing, according to new information released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

There were 85 carbon monoxide poisoning deaths attributed to the use of generators in 2006, the year covered in the latest CPSC study. The estimated number of generator-related CO fatalities doubled in 2005 and 2006 from the two prior years, with a combined estimate of 182 fatalities in 2005 and 2006 compared to an estimated 92 in 2003 and 2004, the agency reported. One reason for the sharp spike in 2005 was likely a high number of severe weather events that caused widespread power outages, including hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Non-weather related CO fatalities associated with generator use are also on the rise—by 53 percent from 2004 to 2005, and another 41 percent from 2005 to 2006. In contrast to 2005, the busiest hurricane season since records have been kept, there were no hurricanes that made landfall in the U.S. in 2006.

Recently, Underwriters Laboratories asked us to help get the word out on generator safety and to call attention to its first standard for portable generators, which took effect in March. The standard—UL 2201—addresses hazards associated with the typical use of generators, primarily those related to CO poisoning.

According to UL, the new performance requirements facilitate safe outdoor use of UL-listed portable generators during storms or poor weather conditions, as well as provide clear usage labels for consumers to help reduce the known risks of CO poisoning and electrocution.

Here are some tips on generator safety that our readers have found helpful..

• Never operate a generator indoors or in any enclosed or partially enclosed area—even if you think you can adequately ventilate the space.
• Keep generators away from windows, doors, air conditioners, and vents where gases can enter the house. Outside, always be conscious of where the exhaust gas is moving, and stay out of its path.
• Maintain working carbon-monoxide detectors throughout your home.
• Properly store and handle the gasoline. Never refuel the generator while it's running; stop the engine and allow it to cool first.
• Store gasoline safely. Keep it outside in a cool place away from the house or a heat source. Treat gas with a stabilizer (about $5 to treat 25 gallons) to preserve it for up to a year. And dispose of old fuel by using it in mowers and other outdoor equipment.
• Be sure the generator is properly grounded, and use extreme caution around wet electrical cords. Use a portable GFCI device with extension cords whenever you use your generator.
• Never connect a generator directly to a home's wiring. If the generator is used to power home circuits, always use a properly installed transfer switch (about $600 installed).
• Keep connections safe. For small generators, use extension cords rated for the wattage they're carrying.

For more information see our most recent report on generators including Ratings and recommendations.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/portgen.html

Portable Generator Hazards

Consumer Product Safety Commission Safety Alert

Portable generators are useful when temporary or remote electric power is needed, but they also can be hazardous. The primary hazards to avoid when using a generator are carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from the toxic engine exhaust, electric shock or electrocution, fire and burns.

Every year, people die in incidents related to portable generator use. Most of the incidents associated with portable generators reported to CPSC involve CO poisoning from generators used indoors or in partially-enclosed spaces.

Carbon Monoxide Hazards

When used in a confined space, generators can produce high levels of CO within minutes. When you use a portable generator, remember that you cannot see or smell CO. Even if you do not smell exhaust fumes, you may still be exposed to CO.

Danger labels are required on all portable generators manufactured or imported on or after May 14, 2007.

If you start to feel sick, dizzy, or weak while using a generator, get to fresh air RIGHT AWAY. DO NOT DELAY. The CO from generators can rapidly kill you.

Follow these safety tips to protect against CO poisoning.

• NEVER use a generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, or similar areas, even when using fans or opening doors and windows for ventilation. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide can quickly build up in these areas and can linger for hours, even after the generator has shut off.

• Follow the instructions that come with your generator. Locate the unit outdoors and far from doors, windows, and vents that could allow CO to come indoors.

• Install battery-operated CO alarms or plug-in CO alarms with battery back-up in your home, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. CO alarms should be certified to the requirements of the latest safety standards (UL 2034, IAS 6-96, or CSA 6.19.01). Test batteries monthly.

To avoid CO poisoning when using generators:

• Never run generators indoors, including garages, basements, crawlspaces and sheds.
• Get to fresh air right away if you start to feel dizzy or weak.

Electrical Hazards

• Generators pose a risk of shock and electrocution, especially if they are operated in wet conditions. If you must use a generator when it is wet outside, protect the generator from moisture to help avoid the shock/electrocution hazard, but do so without operating the generator indoors or near openings to any building that can be occupied in order to help avoid the CO hazard. Operate the generator under an open, canopy-like structure on a dry surface where water cannot reach it or puddle or drain under it. Dry your hands, if wet, before touching the generator.

• Connect appliances to the generator using heavy-duty extension cords that are specifically designed for outdoor use. Make sure the wattage rating for each cord exceeds the total wattage of all appliances connected to it. Use extension cords that are long enough to allow the generator to be placed outdoors and far away from windows, doors and vents to the home or to other structures that could be occupied. Check that the entire length of each cord is free of cuts or tears and that the plug has all three prongs. Protect the cord from getting pinched or crushed if it passes through a window or doorway.

• NEVER try to power the house wiring by plugging the generator into a wall outlet, a practice known as “backfeeding.” This is extremely dangerous and presents an electrocution risk to utility workers and neighbors served by the same utility transformer. It also bypasses some of the built-in household circuit protection devices.

Fire Hazards

• Never store fuel for your generator in the home. Gasoline, propane, kerosene, and other flammable liquids should be stored outside of living areas in properly-labeled, non-glass safety containers. Do not store them near a fuel-burning appliance, such as a natural gas water heater in a garage.

• Before refueling the generator, turn it off and let it cool down. Gasoline spilled on hot engine parts could ignite.

5123/0407

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/portgen.html

Ghanaian Consumers Can Sue Electricity Conpany Of Ghana (ECG)

...BLAME HIS [ECG MD] IGNORANCE AND THE MISSING CONSUMER PROTECTION BILL...

...says Jean Yaw Twum Lukaz MIH, Consumer Advocate

Ignorant and arrogant statements by Mr. Jude Adu-Amankwah, Managing Director of ECG, marked the moment of truth for the lack of a Consumer Protection Law in Ghana. The Consumer Protection Bill is still lost in the files of the /ministry of Trade due to the manipulations of companies like ECG who feel threatened by its provisions. The Consumer Protection Bill is still under the carpet so that Ghanaian Consumers can continue to hear the trumpets of ignorance coming from "unenlightened" people in his likes.

For a whole Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Boss to make such a statement with the intention of intimidating Ghanaian consumers is a sad story. Mr. Jude Adu-Amankwah, Managing Director of ECG, called the bluff of Ghanaian electricity consumers when he made the statement that consumers are helpless receivers of poor electricity supplies who are receiving a favour from ECG and not a service demands his resignation. He simply does not understand the responsibilities he has been given.

Commercial influence in our politics and judicial system is degrading consumer protection in Ghana whilst denying Ghanaian Consumers of their rights. Lack of a small claims court and Consumer Redress systems makes consumer actions a matter beyond the reach of poor Ghanaian consumers.

Electricity Companies have been sued worldwide and Ghana is not a new story. Consumers will need to initiate a class action against ECG. The problems arise when it comes to proof but consumers do not need to be technicians to prove that ECG is supplying poor quality electricity to Ghanaian Consumers. The equipment needed to consistently measure and record the quality of electricity being delivered to Ghanaians is not readily available but simple experiments do the trick.

In most of the developing countries where consumer class actions have been brought against electricity suppliers and consumers have won the adjudication has been rooted in the existing Consumer Protection Laws which give consumers a framework for redress. Examples are India, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.

YOU CAN'T SUE ECG - MD DECLARES

By Francis Xah

Tuesday, 28 April 2009 http://www.newtimesonline.com

Customers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) whose property and equipment get damaged through power outages cannot sue ECG in court. “Even if they do, they can never win”, Mr. Jude Adu-Amankwah Managing Director of ECG, has said. Answering a question at a press conference yesterday, jointly held by the ECG, the Volta River Authority and GRIDCO, a company responsible for the minuteness of transmission lines to explain the April 20 power outage that plunged the whole country into darkness, Mr. Adu-Amankwah said if a careless driver, for example, crashed into an electric pole resulting in a power outage, how could customers sue ECG for that. He said natural disasters like earthquakes, floods and lightening could also cause power outages, so a customer who sued ECG did not stand the chance of winning that suit. He said the ECG had not signed any contract with customers that, there would never be a problem with the power it supplied to them. On power supply, he disclosed that the ECG would have to double its capacity every 10 years to ensure adequate and reliable power supply to customers. Mr. Adu-Amankwah mentioned obsolete equipment, weak transmission system and the lack of spinning reserve in the generation system, was the causes of the April 20 power outage. Besides those weaknesses, he said, GRIDCO had installed automatic frequency load shedding (AFLS) devices in the system which automatically interrupts supply to sections of ECG’s customers whenever there was a decay in frequency in the system. “The situation in all these areas can be attributed to the operation of the AFLS, the overloaded and weak distribution networks,” he said. Joseph Wiafe, Managing Director of GRIDCO, for his part, said his company’s role was to develop and maintain the National Interconnected Transmission System (NITS) and provide non discriminatory open access to all power producers and bulk consumers. He said the national power grid comprise about 4,500kilometres of high voltage transmission lines with 43 substations that served as plant substations or transformer. Mr. Wiafe said the power network was faced with over aged and obsolete equipment that were installed in 1965. He said overloaded facilities were due to the inability to increase capacity to match demand and added that maintenance work was also hampered by lack of spare parts. Mr Wiafe said to prevent total system collapse, AFLS devices were installed to rectify the fault and then restore those loads back as quickly as possible, and noted that the April 20 incident resulted in a total system collapse. “There was an explosion of a substation device, the debris hit a lightening arrester which also exploded, rendering two supply lines from Tema to Accra out of service”, he explained. The Chief Executive of VRA, Owura Sarfo, said the projected power demand for 2009 was 1,309 mega watts, while available generation was 1,482 mega watts. He said the reserve margin of 227 mega watts was equivalent to two gas turbines of 110 mega watts. Owura Sarfo gave an assurance that VRA has taken the appropriate steps to reduce the incident of such faults to the barest minimum. “Fortunately, we have the men and the staff to keep the system in good state”, he said.   He said the commissioning of the 200 mega watt Sunon Asogli plant next month, would help address the nation’s future power demands. On the statement by the Managing director that customers who go ahead and take the ECG to court can never win the case against the ECG, Mr Ace Ankumah a legal Practitioner said the Managing Director’s statement admits that customers can sue, but the Managing Director is confident of victory. That contradicts his earlier position that the customers cannot sue. He recalled that even when the ECG was a statutory corporation, the High Court held (in the case of Hasnem v. ECG /1992/2 GLR 250) that N.L.C.D. 125 imposed a duty on the ECG to supply electricity to customers who had such contracts with them, and were therefore required to take such steps as were reasonable to ensure safe supply of electricity. “According to the court, the breach of the duty would give the customer a cause of action and might also afford evidence of negligence. ECG was held to owe a duty to their customers to ensure that their cables were capable of serving and actually serving all the places for which it was intended to serve.” Mr. Ankumah said even though the plaintiffs ultimately lost the case, it was because they could not prove that the relevant cable was inadequate to service the area in question. “The principle was, therefore, established that if there is evidence of negligence, the ECG would be liable to the judicial process.” “Of course, there would be no liability if the cause of the damage to customers’ property was a third party or an Act of God (eg floods and earthquakes) over which the ECG has no control.  However, that does not amount to immunity from legal action, and certainly does not constitute a basis for arguing that the ECG was somehow guaranteed legal success in every legal action. “Definitely, if there is proof of negligence, ECG will be held liable.  Indeed, if it can be proved that ECG had used inferior material to build or construct its pylons and /or poles when it knew that the area was prone to earthquakes and floods, ECG will have liability”, Mr. Ankumah said