1. OUR PROMISE
Our promise is to deliver a high standard of care to all customers as we believe that this is critical to our success and the economic development of our nation.
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) regards complaints as a learning opportunity to put things right and take action to ensure that these problems do not recur often. We will also use complaints as a measure of the level of customer service and satisfaction.
This code of practice details the standards of service you can expect from us if you have a complaint. Our complaints procedure is:
• Easy to use
• Deals fairly and timely with a complaint
• Respects confidentiality within the constraints of the need to fully investigate a complaint, and
• Allows you to refer your complaint to the Regulators (Public Utilities Regulatory Commission or Energy Commission of Ghana, as appropriate) if you are not satisfied with our response or action.
2. PURPOSE
The purpose of the complaints handling procedure is to:
• Ensure that when a complaint is made, it is dealt with consistently and fairly within the agreed timescales and in an impartial, objective and professional manner
• Reassure customers that no adverse treatment will arise because they have made a complaint
• Ensure that complaints are recorded centrally and that the information is used to track performance and to improve services.
This code covers any aspect of the service provided by ECG including electricity bills, payments, metering, power quality, faults, attitude of staff and communication. It does not cover any issue that is the subject of ongoing legal action.
3. COMPLAINT
A complaint is finding fault with or an expression of dissatisfaction about an action or lack of action regarding our standard of service.
ECG will not charge a customer for making or registering a complaint with us, neither will we charge any customer for working on a complaint made. Complaints made anonymously will be considered on its merit and action taken where it is deemed appropriate.
4. MAKING A COMPLAINT
A complaint can be made in the following ways:
• In person by contacting the Customer Relations Assistant (CRA) at the ECG Customer Service Centre or District Office serving your area who will assist you to complete a Complaints Form (in duplicate)
• By dropping or depositing a written complaint into a Suggestion Box located at the ECG Customer Service Centre or District Office
• By letter to the ECG District Manager responsible for your area
• By phoning our Call Centre on 0302-611611
• By e-mail to: sevicesmarketing@ecggh.com
Complaints are treated expeditiously if customers provide the following information,
where applicable:
• Name, address, telephone number, account number and district code
• Number written in red paint on the nearest ECG pole to your premises
• Nature of the complaint
• Relevant documentation on the complaint or correspondence, if any
• Name of ECG officer who previously handled this complaint to your dissatisfaction, if appropriate.
5. HANDLING COMPLAINTS
The ECG will treat all complaints in confidence and without prejudice.
Complaints on the phone are welcome and we are confident that a lot of them can be resolved quickly. However, in some cases, ECG may require that you make the complaint in writing.
Without regard to how you contact us, it is our aim to resolve the complaint within 10 working days. If we are unable to resolve the complaint we will get back to you with a substantive response within 10 working days informing you of the status of your complaint.
Our intention is to resolve complaints to the satisfaction of customers as quickly as possible, but if for some reason we are unable to resolve the complaint or contact you within 10 working days, you will be entitled to compensation under the terms of our Customer Charter.
If we act on your complaint within the 10 working days or any mutually agreed period, but you are still not satisfied with the outcome, you can request that the matter be escalated internally (within ECG) for review to try to reach a satisfactory conclusion. Doing so automatically initiates a review process, and you will be contacted within 5 working days by the relevant ECG manager to discuss your complaint and try to reach a satisfactory conclusion.
The review process will follow the steps outlined below. Each step is to be initiated by the customer or complainant.
If you feel that your complaint has still not been satisfactorily resolved after review by ECG, you may refer the matter to either the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) or the Energy Commission of Ghana (EC) for independent adjudication as the case necessitates. The PURC adjudicates economic and commercial issues while the EC deals with technical and licensing matters.
Customers are kindly requested to note that only complaints which have already gone through the above review process will be accepted by the PURC/EC for consideration.
6. OUR GUARANTEE
Customers will be entitled to compensation under the terms of our Customer Charter if we fail to meet the commitments outlined in this Code.
The Regulators may be contacted as follows:
By letter to: Public Utilities Regulatory Commission Energy Commission
P. O. Box CT 3095 Private Mail Bag
Cantonments Ministries Post Office
Accra Accra
Online: www.purcghana.com www.energycom.gov.gh
E-mail: info@purcghana.com info@energycom.gov.gh
Tel: (0302) 244180-3 (0302) 813756-7
Fax: (0302) 244188 (0302) 813764
Copies of this Code of Practice for Complaints Handling, Customer Charter and other Codes can be obtained in the following ways:
Walk in: Any ECG Customer Service Centre, District Office or Regional Office
By post: Services Marketing Manager, ECG Customer Services Directorate,
P. O. Box GP 521, Accra
By e-mail: servicesmarketing@ecggh.com
Online: www.ecgonline.info
By phone: 0302 - 611 611
This Code has been approved by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) and the Energy Commission of Ghana (EC).