Kumasi: The Energy Commission has advised Ghanaians to always engage the services of qualified and certified wiring professionals and inspectors before applying for meters from the Electricity Company of Ghana, Limited (ECG). This is to ensure that wiring services and installation works are properly done with standard materials for the safety of lives and properties.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Stephen N. Yomoh, Assistant Manager of the Electrical Wiring Section of the Electricity and Natural Gas Directorate of the Energy Commission, made the call at a stakeholder engagement in the Ashanti West Region of the ECG. The engagement was part of the Energy Commission’s tour of all the operational areas of the ECG to sensitize stakeholders on the Electrical Wiring Regulation, 2011 (L.I.2008). It was also to inform stakeholders about the efforts being made to digitize the process of engaging the services of certified wiring professionals and inspectors.
The Electrical Wiring Regulation, 2011 (L.I.2008) was passed into law in 2012 to ensure that only qualified and certified professionals engage in electrical wiring and installation works. Mr. Yomoh noted that poor wiring services and installation works had the potential to cause fire outbreaks, which could lead to loss of lives and properties. Hence, the ECG was not allowed to give out meters without receiving stamped forms from a certified wiring professional and inspector.
Mr. Yomoh explained that customers were entitled to only pay for the wiring services to the certified and licensed electricians, while the electricians paid the inspectors. However, he observed that some unprofessional electricians burdened customers with the payment of the electrical inspectors, which was incorrect. Mr. Yomoh urged citizens to only pay for the wiring services and report unprofessional electricians to law enforcers.
According to him, the management of the Commission had developed an application, which had a list of certified electricians published there for easy accessibility by customers. The application, he said, could be found on the website of the Energy Commission and accessed by everybody. He advised citizens to always request to see the license of the electricians they intended to engage with to prevent them from employing the services of unlicensed electricians and inspectors.
Mr. Emmanuel Osei Amoako, the Acting General Manager of ECG Ashanti West Region, said the Energy Commission regulated the technical activities such as the quality of power supply and power connection of the ECG. He thanked the Commission for engaging stakeholders on the implementation of the Electrical Wiring Regulation 2011 (L.I. 2008) and developing an application for certified electricians. Mr. Amoako indicated that the ECG was backlashed by citizens for the acts of electricians and inspectors who claimed to work for the company and charged for providing wiring services for customers.
Mr. Amoako appealed to the public to assist the Energy Commission and the ECG to curb poor wiring as it could cause fire outbreaks, electrocutions, and electricity leakages, which could result in loss of lives and properties and high electricity bills.