By: Hamza Lansah Lolly
The Nothern Regional Office of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) is planning to inaugurate a Media Collation Against Illegal Connections in the Northern Region.
According to the Northern Regional PURC Manager Mr. Ali Simon Jarana the partnership with the media will not only help the educational drive of PURC but will help reduce NEDCO and Ghana Water Limited commercial losses.
“This collaboration aims to improve public education on utility regulations, rights, and responsibilities, as well as ensure accurate and timely reporting on PURC’s activities”. He stated
NEDCo, the Northern Electricity Distribution Company, and the Ghana Water Limited (GWL) both face significant commercial losses. NEDCo’s losses, primarily due to technical and commercial issues, are consistently above the Power Regulatory Commission (PURC) benchmark, with commercial losses accounting for a significant portion. GWL experiences substantial Non-Revenue Water (NRW) losses, with estimates showing a significant amount of produced water is lost or unaccounted for.
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High Loss Levels:
NEDCo’s distribution losses have consistently been above the PURC benchmark.
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Commercial Losses:
A significant portion of NEDCo’s losses are attributed to commercial issues, including power theft, billing discrepancies, and meter issues.
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Regional Disparities:
A significant portion of NEDCo’s losses are concentrated in the Northern sector, with Tamale accounting for a large percentage.
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Challenges:
The Energy Minister said that NEDCo is facing major challenges in the Northern sector, with over 50% of losses attributed to this region.
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Non-Revenue Water (NRW):GWL faces significant NRW losses, with a substantial portion of produced water unaccounted for.
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NRW Estimates:Estimates suggest that on average, 48% of produced water is lost or unaccounted for since 2017.
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Debt and Deficit:GWL has inherited a significant debt and faces a considerable supply deficit, adding to the challenges in managing NRW losses.
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Impact:These losses impact the company’s financial stability and its ability to provide consistent water supply to its customers.
