ECG declares 'WAR' on Illegal Connections

**ECG Steps Up Efforts Against Illegal Connections**

The Accra West region of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is taking action. They aim to eliminate unauthorized electricity connections. This effort will help curb commercial losses and recover lost revenue.

To achieve this, ECG has deployed a special task force. This team will audit electricity meters and installations at customer premises. It consists of trained technical staff who will identify illegal electricity use.

Ing. Emmanuel Ankrah is the Acting General Manager for ECG, Accra West. He warned that offenders will face severe consequences. These include disconnection, financial penalties, and possible prosecution.

Customers should not work with self-styled ECG employees or electricians. Such actions lead to illegal connections and deny ECG much-needed revenue. This negatively affects service quality for all customers.

Ankrah emphasized that those with illegal connections will be identified. They must pay for all the power used without payment, plus penalties.

**Illegal Connections Found**

A pilot phase of the revenue protection exercise ran from September to December 2024. It uncovered 374 cases of illegal connections. The company recovered 3.3 GWh of stolen power valued at GH₵7,411,462.

Dr. Mark Owusu Ansah is the Accra West Revenue Protection Manager. He described these findings as alarming and stressed their commitment to tackling this issue aggressively.

He stated that people engaging in illegal activities are thieves stealing power from ECG. The company aims to identify these criminals and eliminate them.

The audit revealed various illegal practices like direct service connections and meter tampering.

**Task Force Operations**

The ongoing crackdown covers all eight operational districts under ECG - Accra West: Ablekuma, Achimota, Amasaman, Bortianor, Dansoman, Kaneshie, Korle-Bu, and Nsawam.

Authorities assure that the task force will continue inspections to deter future offenses. Customers are urged to comply with ECG regulations to avoid sanctions.

The company remains determined to recover lost revenue and improve service delivery for everyone.