ECG Eastern Region recovers over GH¢1.5m from power theft
THE Eastern Regional Office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) recovered GH¢1,539,986.00 in 2025 from various forms of electricity-related illegal activities across the region.
The offences recorded included 33 cases of meter bypass, 37 cases of meter tampering, and 47 unauthorised service connections.
The Eastern Regional General Manager, Emmanuel Appoe, disclosed this during a media engagement held in Koforidua yesterday.
The meeting, attended by management and staff of the company, was organised to highlight ECG’s performance in the region over the past year and outline plans for the year ahead.
Mr Appoe explained that the power theft cases and related illegalities were uncovered through ECG’s revenue protection monitoring activities, aimed at reducing commercial losses.
He noted that the power utility company operations in the region last year recorded significant stability due to investments totalling GH¢7,412,468.24 in several improvement projects.
According to him, the projects included the installation of eight new transformers in areas experiencing increased demand, the upgrading of five low-capacity transformers, and the execution of 40 network improvement and extension projects.
These interventions, he mentioned, contributed to improved and stable power supply for customers.
Mr Appoe further revealed that the company was currently implementing a VIT Project, an initiative designed to minimise the impact of power outages across ECG operational areas.
A 14 districts in the Eastern Region would benefit once the project is completed. The technology would also help ECG maintenance teams to quickly isolate faults to prevent outages from spreading to wider areas, he noted.
Despite the progress made, the General Manager expressed concern over destructive activities by some individuals, including transformer vandalism, hit-and-run incidents, bushfires, chainsaw operations, and natural disasters such as windstorms.
He said the region recorded 54 burnt poles due to bushfires and 13 incidents of vehicles crashing into transformers.
In addition, some chainsaw operators were reported to have felled trees onto ECG lines, leading to outages.
Additionally, Mr Appoe noted that these incidents often resulted in prolonged power cuts, especially when suspects fled the scene and refused to take responsibility. This, he said, increases ECG’s operational costs.
The General Manager appealed to the public to stop engaging in such acts to help ECG maintain a strong and reliable electricity system in the region.
Touching on metering, Mr Appoe stated that the Eastern Region currently has 466,123 active customers, made up of 312,913 postpaid customers and 153,210 prepaid customers.
He also announced that ECG was implementing a Loss Reduction Project (LRP) in seven districts: Koforidua, Tafo, Suhum, Kibi, Asamankese, and Akim Oda, with Asesewa currently piloting the project pending approval for full rollout.
He added that under the LRP, 69,033 prepaid meters have already been installed in the targeted districts.
Regarding recent power outages in parts of the region, especially Koforidua, Mr Appoe attributed the problem to GRIDCo, expressing hope that the situation would soon be resolved.
He assured customers that ECG remained committed to improving service delivery, but urged the public to pay their electricity bills promptly and avoid illegal connections and other power theft practices to support ECG’s efforts.
FROM AMA AMPADU AGYEMANG, KOFORIDUA
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