Energy debt seen peaking at $12 bn by 2023 graphic.com.gh - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from graphic.com.gh Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
705
A new report has identified that the increasing commercial losses witnessed in the power distribution sector significantly contributes to the continuous debt accumulation in the sector.
It said despite the efforts made to clear the energy sector debts under Energy Sector Levy Act (ESLA), the debt ,if left unresolved, could reach a total of US$12.5million by 2023.
According to the report on “The Prevalence of Illegal Meters in the National Grid System,” non-payment for power consumed and power theft through illegal connections are the principal causes of the commercial losses witnessed in the power distribution sector.
Consequently, electricity distribution losses for the first quarter of 2020 were 26.63 per cent, technical losses accounted for about 10 per cent while commercial loss was 16.63 per cent.
ECG officials aided consumers to do illegal connections, meter tampering — ACEP reveals modernghana.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from modernghana.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Illegal connections in the country’s electricity distribution system are denying electricity distributors more than GH¢1.3 billion annually.
The loss constitutes an average extra cost of 15Gp per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy that consumers pay for electricity, a study conducted by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), has found.
The illegality includes the distribution of unprocessed electricity meters which do not enable standardised reading and billing of consumers under the Self-Help Electrification Programme (SHEP), a community-driven electrification mechanism.
The study said politicians and agents of the power distributors took advantage of the bad system to satisfy their interests.
The research was undertaken to confirm the existence of illegal SHEP metres, raise awareness and make informed policy decisions for reform of the electricity distribution system.
Power distributors lose GH¢1 3bn to illegal connections graphic.com.gh - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from graphic.com.gh Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.