The distribution of electricity in the southern part of Ghana falls under the jurisdiction of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). This encompasses the Greater Accra, Central, Western, Western North, Volta, Eastern, Ashanti, and Oti regions. Within these regions, ECG serves an extensive customer base, exceeding 4 million customers, making it the largest electricity service provider in Ghana, representing approximately 80% of the total customer count. Furthermore, ECG is responsible for the distribution of 87.8% of the total electricity supplied throughout Ghana.
Grid Electricity Purchase, Sales and Losses Incurred by ECG (GWh)
The losses refer to the difference between the amount of electricity ECG buys from GRIDCo and what it manages to sell to its customers. These losses fall into two categories: technical and commercial. Technical losses result from inefficiencies in the power grid. Commercial losses occur when customers do not fully pay for the electricity they use, which can happen due to billing errors, non-payment, or electricity theft.
Percentage (%) of Electricity Distribution Losses
This chart illustrates the distribution losses (both commercial and technical) as a percentage of the total energy purchased by ECG. In 2024, distribution losses rose to 32.0%, up from 26.9% in 2023, reversing the downward trend observed the previous year. This increase also marks a significant rise compared to the 30.6% loss recorded in 2022, and is notably higher than earlier years such as 2015, when losses stood at 22.7%. The data reflects ongoing challenges and fluctuations in managing distribution losses over time.
ECG's Average Electricity Interruption Frequency
System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) measures how often a customer experiences power outages during an operational year. The regulatory benchmark permits up to six outages annually in metro, urban, and rural areas.
In 2024, ECG’s distribution areas recorded an average of 12 interruptions in metro areas, 17 in urban areas, and 21 in rural areas. The figures for metro and urban areas remained relatively consistent with 2023, while rural areas experienced a noticeable increase in outage frequency. Despite efforts to improve service reliability, all three areas still exceeded the permitted threshold, pointing to ongoing challenges in achieving regulatory standards.
ECG's Average Electricity Interruption Duration
System interruption duration is measured by the average total hours of outages recorded for the distribution system during an operational year. Regulatory benchmarks vary by area: 48 hours for metro areas, 72 hours for urban areas, and 144 hours for rural zones.
In 2024, ECG’s distribution recorded an average interruption duration of 70 hours in metro areas, 34 hours in urban areas, and 102 hours in rural areas. While urban and rural areas remained within their respective regulatory limits, metro areas exceeded the 48-hour benchmark, marking a decline in reliability compared to 2023. The data shows that while urban and rural service duration improved slightly or remained stable, service reliability in metro areas deteriorated over the past year.