Consumers unhappy with water and electricity tariff increment

Consumers of water and electricity are not excited about the increase in utility tariffs which took effect today February 1, 2023.

The Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission announced a 30% increase in the price of electricity and 8.3% in water.

Reasons for the approval of the increase have been attributed to the cedi depreciation, soaring inflation and power generation issues.

But some consumers who spoke to Citi News said, the upward adjustments are unbearable.

“It is like our leaders are not thinking about us. It has been increased today, we will not be surprised that it will go up again tomorrow. What is government doing? This is affecting our lives because prices of other goods and services will also be increased.”

In a release issued by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the power distributor said it has catalogued all unit consumption and the expected cost in a “Reckoner” which clearly explains how the tariff is applied and billed.

“We have to sit down and increase our prices. Customers will complain, but we have no choice”, a trader said.

Meanwhile, the ECG said it has established customer help desks in all districts and customer service centres to assist, explain and reconcile any challenge.