Dear Customer,
ECG is the power sector company responsible for electricity distribution and supply in the southern half of Ghana. You, the customer, come into direct contact daily with ECG anytime you seek to have your building or business supplied with electricity, when you call to report a fault, or if you have a complaint regarding our service delivery to you.
ECG’s commitment is to delight the customer, that is, putting the needs of our customers first and ensuring high quality customer care at all times. This is reflected in the pledges made in this Customer Charter.
The Customer Charter represents the targets which ECG will be expected to meet when providing you with our range of services. Our renewed confidence is such that we are ever prepared to compensate you if we are unable to deliver as stated in this Charter.
Please visit this page for future reference should you ever feel the service you experience does not delight you.
We thank you for your valued custom and do look forward to an enduring relationship.
Yours sincerely,
(ANTHONY GYAMPO)
ACTING MANAGING DIRECTOR
............................................................................................................
1.0 CUSTOMER ENQUIRIES/COMPLAINTS AND APPOINTMENTS
1.1 Enquiries and Complaints
Queries and/or general enquiries can usually be answered promptly whenever we are contacted. In some cases, the queries or enquires may be complex especially involving third parties and research. If further investigations are required to be made we will get back to you with a substantive response within 10 working days.
If we fail to respond within 10 working days, we will pay you GHS 6.
Every customer is entitled to have any complaint resolved quickly and efficiently. It is our desire to deal with any complaint within 10 working days.
If we do not meet this commitment, we will pay you GHS 6.
1.2 Appointments
We consider it an honour to keep the appointments we make with you but sometimes it may not be possible to stick to the original arrangement. We will endeavour to visit as agreed upon always or contact you at least 1hour before the appointment to reschedule to another time agreed by you should a problem arise on our part.
2.0 REQUEST FOR ELECTRICITY SUPPLY
2.1 General Requirements
Any prospective customer who requires electricity supply is to contact the Customer Relations Assistant (CRA) at the nearest Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) District Office after his/her premises has been wired by a licensed electrician. The prospective customer will be required to submit to the CRA the following documents:
• Completed ECG Application Form
• Original and copy of applicant’s identification (National ID/Passport/Voter’s ID/Driver’s License)
• Development or Building Permit issued by the relevant Metropolitan, Municipal or District Assembly.
Self Help Electrification Project (SHEP) or any Government of Ghana electrification project areas are exempted from the submission of a Development or Building Permit.
2.2 Provision of Quotation or Estimate
If the conditions in section 2.1 have been satisfied, then we guarantee to send you a quotation (or estimate) for the cost of electricity supply to your premises within:
• 3 working days if a supply line already exists
• 5 working days if the service connection requires a supply line extension of up to 2 poles.
If we fail to do this, we will pay the following:
• GHS 6 to a prospective residential customer
• GHS 12 to a prospective non residential customer
A request for electricity supply that involves more than 2 poles, however, is considered as a development project that will require engineering studies and capital investment. In such a case, the service connection may or may not be undertaken depending upon the results of the engineering studies and availability of capital investment.
2.3 Electricity Supply Connection
Subject to the full payment of the quotation by the prospective customer, we undertake to provide the electricity supply connection within the following period:
• 3 working days if a supply line already exists
• 10 working days if the service connection requires a supply line extension of up to 2 poles.
If we fail to honour this guarantee we will pay you the following:
• GHS 12 to a prospective residential customer
• GHS 24 to a prospective non residential customer
3.0 PLANNED INTERRUPTION OF SUPPLY
We often have to either work on the distribution system to connect new customers, undertake maintenance activities or improve the network generally. Such an activity may often require that we interrupt power supply to enable personnel work safely. Whenever such a planned interruption becomes necessary, we guarantee to give customers at least 3 days notice unless otherwise agreed.
If we fail to do this, you will be entitled to the following payments:
• GHS 6 to any residential customer affected
• GHS 12 to any non residential customer affected
• GHS 24 to any industrial customer affected
Please contact us within one month of the planned supply interruption to claim payment under this guarantee.
4.0 SUPPLY RESTORATION
4.1 Reconnection after Non Payment Disconnection
Generally, supply to a customer will be interrupted for the following reasons:
• Non payment of electricity bill(s) or other arrears of payment
• Illegal connection or unauthorized extension of supply
Supply will be restored after settlement of all outstanding financial obligations imposed by us within the following periods:
• 4 hours in a Metropolitan, Municipal or Industrial Estates
• 8 hours in a District Capital
• 15 hours in a Rural Area
If we fail to honour this undertaking, we will pay the customer the following amounts:
• GHS 6 to any residential customer affected
• GHS 12 to any non residential customer affected
• GHS 30 to any industrial customer affected
4.2 Post Fault Clearance
Faults sometimes occur in our electricity distribution network and as such you may be without supply. If this happens, kindly let us know immediately by contacting our Call Centre on 0302 - 611611. We will do everything possible to restore supply quickly.
In the case of a minor fault, we guarantee to restore supply within the following periods:
• 6 hours in a Metropolitan, Municipal or Industrial Estates
• 10 hours in a District Capital
• 20 hours in a Rural Area
For a major fault requiring the replacement of capital equipment, we undertake to restore supply within the following periods:
• 72 hours in a Metropolitan, Municipal or Industrial Estates
• 96 hours in a District Capital
• 180 hours in a Rural Area
If we fail to do this, you will be entitled to claim the following amounts:
• GHS 24 to any residential customer affected
• GHS 48 to any non residential customer affected
• GHS 120 to any industrial customer affected
Please contact us within one month after the restoration of supply to claim payment under this guarantee.
5.0 SYSTEM VOLTAGE
5.1 Voltage Complaint
Our voltage standards are as follows:
• 230 - Volts ± 10% (207 Volts to 253 Volts)
• 400 - Volts ± 10% (360 Volts to 440 Volts)
• 11,000 - Volts ± 10% (9,900 Volts to 12,100 Volts)
• 33,000- Volts ± 10% (29,700 Volts to 36,300 Volts)
If you have a concern about the voltage level of the electricity supply of which we are not aware, we guarantee to visit your premises within 12 hours after receipt of the complaint.
If we fail to visit, we will pay the complainant:
• GHS 12 to the residential customer affected
• GHS 24 to the non residential customer affected
• GHS 60 to the industrial customer affected
Where an investigation is required we will contact you within a further 5 days to advise you of the outcome. If we fail to contact you within the guaranteed time frame, we will pay you the following amounts:
• GHS 12 to the residential customer affected
• GHS 24 to the non residential customer affected
• GHS 36 to the industrial customer affected
5.2 Loss or Damage of Equipment
The commitment of ECG is to provide quality, safe and reliable electricity service despite the overwhelming investment constraints. In the event of a customer suffering loss or damage to his/her equipment or property, we will visit the premises to investigate the cause of the damage or loss. If it is established that ECG is liable you may be eligible for compensation.
6.0 METER
We will provide, install and maintain a meter which will measure and record the amount of electricity supplied.
6.1 Separate Meter
A separate meter may be provided upon a request from customers of electricity living in a multi-family dwelling whose average monthly consumption is at least 300 kWh. However ECG may, subject to the discretion of the Director of Customer Services, revise downward this threshold on a case-by-case basis presented for consideration by a Regional Director of ECG.
On receipt of the request and subject to the establishment by us of a complete and satisfactory separation of the customer’s wiring, we will provide a quotation for the cost of installing an additional meter (separate meter) within 3 working days. We will undertake to install the separate meter within 3 working days after receipt of full payment of the charges involved.
If we fail to do either of these above, we will pay the following amounts in each case:
• GHS 12 to the residential customer
• GHS 24 to the non residential customer
6.2 Prepayment Meter
We will ensure that prepayment vending facility for the purchase of credit is established within 3 (urban) – 5 (rural) kilometer distance of any premises where prepayment meter is installed.
We will provide community-based vending facility for the purchase of credit which shall operate for a minimum of 12 hours daily.
If we fail to provide either of them, we will pay the following amounts in each case:
• GHS 3 to the residential customer
• GHS 6 to the non residential customer
6.3 Meter Repositioning
We will upon the receipt of a reasonable request, reposition a meter in the same premises.
On receipt of the request, we will provide a quotation for the cost of repositioning the meter within 3 working days. We will undertake to reposition the meter within 10 working days after receipt of full payment of the charges involved.
If we fail to do either of these above, we will pay the following amounts in each case:
• GHS 12 to the residential customer
• GHS 24 to the non residential customer
• GHS 36 to the industrial customer
6.4 Meter Complaint
Following the receipt of a complaint about the functioning of a meter, we guarantee to visit the customer’s premises within 12 hours to investigate the matter. If the meter is found to be faulty or malfunctioning, we will replace the meter within 30 hours after establishing the defect.
If we fail to do this, we will pay the following amounts:
• GHS 12 to the residential customer
• GHS 36 to the non residential customer
• GHS 60 to the industrial customer
This commitment shall not apply if either meter tampering or illegal/unauthorized consumption of electricity is established.
7.0 PAYMENT GUARANTEE
In this Charter, we have indicated the payments we will make whenever we are unable to meet these guarantees. In most cases you need not do anything as we will readily make the payments.
When we fail to meet these guarantees, or when we have received a valid claim, we further guarantee to send you a cheque within 21 days along with our apologies, or if we fail to do this, we will pay you an additional GHS12.
8.0 EXEMPTIONS FROM COMPENSATION PAYMENTS
It can happen that exceptional circumstances could prevent us from meeting your service requirements. Examples are as follows:
• Severe weather conditions or an act of God
• Inability to gain access to the customer’s premises
• Industrial action by our employees subject to Act 651 of 2003
• Frivolous or vexatious complaints
• Breach of an enactment or public policy was likely to occur if we took the action
• Failure of the customer to pay any charge required to be paid before an action is taken
While we cannot offer any guarantee in the circumstances above, we will always make every effort to provide the best possible services.
For any of the above undertakings involving time, it shall be deemed to have commenced if the enquiry, complaint or payment was made not later than 4:00 p.m. on any working day; otherwise, measurement of the time shall commence from 8:00 a.m. the following working day.
Any payment made under this charter is considered as an ex-gratia payment made by ECG for failure to meet the service standards it has set itself. The payment is made without any admission of legal liability on the part of ECG. In the case of any conflict between the Customer Charter and ECG Conditions of Supply, the Conditions of Supply shall prevail.
9.0 ISSUE RESOLUTION
If you remain unsatisfied with our Customer Charter pledges you may follow the ECG Code of Practice for Complaints Handling. This involves bringing up the issue in writing in the first instance to the attention of the ECG Regional Director of the area served and finally to the ECG Director for Customer Services at the corporate headquarters (Electrovolta House, 28th February Road, Accra). If your issue is still not resolved after having followed our complaints procedure, you may then refer the matter to the appropriate Regulator for independent adjudication.
The Regulators may be contacted as follows:
By letter: 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
10.0 CONTACTING ECG
Loss of Supply/Emergencies/Metering/Voltage Queries: phone (0302) 611611
Service Connections/Billing Complaints: contact the District Manager or Customer Relations Assistant at the nearest ECG District Office
Contacts for ECG District Offices are available as follows:
By letter: Electricity Company of Ghana
Electrovolta House
28th February Road
P. O. Box GP 521
Accra
Tel: (0302) 676727/47
Fax: (0302) 666262
Online: www.ecgonline.info
E-mail: servicesmarketing@ecggh.com