The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has encouraged electricity consumers to use its Tariff Reckoner software to check the accuracy of their bills and report any discrepancies identified. The Commission explained that the digital tool allows consumers to calculate their electricity charges based on their monthly consumption and compare the results with bills issued by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, October 21, PURC Executive Secretary Dr. Shafic Suleman urged consumers to take advantage of the software to determine whether they are being charged correctly for the electricity they use. He said the Tariff Reckoner was developed to empower consumers to independently verify their bills rather than rely solely on the amounts charged by ECG. According to him, the software is available on the PURC website, where the Commission also provides public education on how to access and use the platform.
Dr. Suleman explained that consumers could enter their billing information into the software to generate an estimated bill and compare it with the amount charged by ECG. Where discrepancies arise, he said, consumers could lodge complaints with the Commission for investigation and verification. “We have what we call the Tariff Reckoner. It is a software that we developed for consumers and it is on our website and we even educate consumers on how to access it,” he said.
He added that consumers who discover differences between the amount generated by the software and their actual bills could report the matter to the PURC, which would investigate to establish whether the charges were accurate.
“If you still have any doubt on it, you can raise a formal complaint then we can take you through the process to ensure that we can get you to pay the bill that you are consuming and not anything that you are in doubt with,” Dr. Suleman stated.
