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The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has ordered the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to immediately suspend the implementation of their new billing software until further notice.

This action by the Commission follows Complaints which it has received from consumers of electricity regarding issues of overbilling.

The Commission after a thorough investigation into the matter through our monitoring exercises which culminated into visits to specific areas and also interrogation of bills which were presented to Consumers by the Electricity Company of Ghana, came to the conclusion that there was an anomaly in the initial implementation of the new Billing software.

Some of the key issues that came to the fore during our Monitoring Exercises and investigations are the following:

-ECG is billing customers over irregular Periods from 18 days- 43 days which is in contravention of the 28 day billing cycle for the customer

-Some customers are billed above the PURC approved Service Charge and the approved tariff by the PURC in December 2015

-ECG is billing customers who have been disconnected over a period of six months with the accumulated debt figure instead of their monthly actual consumption

-More than 62% of complaints received by the PURC in the first quarter of 2016 were on overbilling as compared to the previous year (18%)

-Customers billing data shows clearly that the ECG has challenges with migrating customer information from the old Billing system to the new Billing System (software)

-Investigations also revealed that District Frontlline Staff who are entrusted to issue customer Bills do not have the adequate technical capacity to accurately use the new Billing software hence the billing anomalies customers are experiencing

-With the new billing software, the Billing cycle of some customers is over a period of four years (2015-2019)

The PURC is however ordering the ECG with immediate effect to put in the following measures to alleviate the plight of customers who have been slapped with high bills because of the implementation of the New Billing Software.

-An independent Billing Software Expert should be appointed to audit the new Billing System currently being rolled out and present a report to the Commission within 10 working days.

-Any customer who has been wrongfully billed and disconnected must be reconnected.

-ECG should correct all billing anomalies and rebill all consumers who have been affected.

-ECG should adequately train Frontline Staff to enable them effectively implement and use the new Billing Software.

Failure to comply with these orders will result in sanctions against the ECG. The PURC is urging all consumers who are experiencing any issues to do with overbilling should report to the PURC.

This was contained in a statement signed by Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah, Director, Public Relations and External Affairs of the  Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).