PURC holds Consumer Service Clinic forum in the Northern region

As part of measures to enhance quality services delivery to customers in the country, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has held its Consumer Service Clinic (CSC) forum in Tamale, the Northern Region on Wednesday March 23, 2023.

The event which covered both the Northern and Savannah regions was to serves as part of the Commission’s nationwide planned and deliberate efforts to afford consumers and utility service providers a platform to lodge complaints on services delivery in the regions.

It was also aimed at helping increase customers’ understanding of the operations of the PURC and the utility service providers.

Dr. Ishmael Ackah, the Executive Secretary of the PURC indicated that based on the feedback from Public Hearings of the Major Tariff review in 2022, and the aftermath of its approval in September 2022, the Commission decided to create platforms specifically for Consumers and utility Service providers to bring out their complaints.

He inaugurated the Consumer Services Committee for the Savannah Region with the aim of educating customers on their rights and their responsibilities to pay bills to the service providers in line with section 31 of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission Act, 1997 Act 538 which is to be based in Damango.

Members of the Committee were Mr. B. A. Jimmah, Mr, Isaac Sheini Gunu, Madam Rose Mark Lermu, Mr. Abubakari Rashid, and Mr. Abdul Naiser Fuseinu.

He advised the Commission to address matters relating to utility services which affect customers and to also monitor the performance of utilities in the location of the Committee.

Naa Mahamadu Alhassan II, the Chief of Choggu Traditional Area urged the Service providers to create good relationship with the consumers to address utilities challenges in the region.

Alhaji Abukari Jabaru, the Northern Regional Director of Operations and Consumer Services of the PURC called upon customer's to make good use of the Tariff reckoner in calculating their consumption which was recently launched by the Commission’s to minimize complaints relating to under billing and overbilling.

He also explained that "The Net Metering Reckoner was to assist customer-generators determine their electricity charges for imports and exports of electricity into the distribution network".

According to him, Customer generators were electricity distribution customers who have installed solar photovoltaics (PV) or wind turbines to periodically supply excess power generated to the grid.

Alhaji Jabaru added that the implementation of the app is based on the PURC Net Metering Guidelines, which has been published on the PURC website.

He noted that the Commission also has WhatsApp platforms which involved Assembly Members and other stakeholders for swift resolution of consumer complaints.

He announced that as part of the Commission’s year of ‘Operational efficiency’, the Northern Regional Office has adopted the “Big Rescue Agenda”, which aim was to assist Utility Service Providers, to reduce their commercial losses such as illegal connections and non-payment of bills and also make them more efficient to better serve consumers.