Energy Analyst, Benjamin Nsiah, has welcomed the decision by the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) to carry out night-time operations in Tamale to clamp down on illegal power connections.
The move follows concerns over a sharp surge in power consumption at night in Tamale, which officials say cannot be explained by regular demand patterns.
According to reports, inspections during the day show power usage within normal limits, but at night, consumption spikes significantly—raising suspicions of widespread illegal connections.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Joshua Kodjo Mensah on Monday, July 7, Mr. Nsiah described the decision to conduct disconnection exercises at night as a step in the right direction to curb power theft.
However, he suggested that authorities could have explored more advanced technological approaches to address the problem, though he acknowledged that such methods come with significant financial implications.
“So I think that beyond engaging visiting homes in the night and I think I think we could put certain adaptive technology on either the feeders within such areas or on the transmission lines or step down lines to ensure that any illegality that happens within certain areas will automatically put the light in those residential facilities off without engaging them at the house level or the residential level.”
Nonetheless, he noted that while this high-tech approach is ideal, it is expensive, which likely explains why VRA and NEDCo are relying on manual inspections and night operations as a more immediate and cost-effective strategy.
“I think that we need to do stipulate technology but he also comes with a lot of cost and that is why I think the VRA and NEDCo are using this strategy to ensure that no illegal connection or no illegal usage of power is to be done.”
Mr. Nsiah urged the authorities to continue exploring both short-term and long-term solutions to address the problem of illegal connections, which not only burden the power supply system but also affect the quality and reliability of electricity in affected areas.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
