The Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) has embarked on tariff education for tertiary students in the country on the need for them to manage their utility consumption.
The engagement was also to enable the students know their rights and responsibilities as far as the usage of utilities in the country was concerned.
Speaking at a tariff education at the Nusrat Jahan Ahmadiyya College of Education in Wa, the Executive Secretary of PURC, Dr. Ishmael Ackah, said the Utility regulator had embarked on public education on utility tariffs to, among other things, ensure the students and the public understand the utility tariff process and to understand some efficiency mechanisms.
He said it was also to make the students ambassadors so that they could also educate people in their jurisdiction.
“PURC is engaging the students and engaging our stakeholders on the need to conserve energy, on the need to be efficient, on the need to know their rights and responsibility”, Dr Ackah explained.
The PURC Executive Secretary urged the students and public to resort to the right channels at all times to seek redress for their concerns regarding utility supply and consumption.
He said aggrieved customers should first of all “talk to the utility, if you don’t get a satisfactory answer you come to PURC”, and if necessary they should use the court system.
He indicated that in as much as utility supply could be cut at some point, the consumer had to be informed for him or her to prepare for the supply cut.
“What we say is that if for any reason customers will not get water, or customers will not get electricity let them know so that they can plan their lives”, Dr. Ackah said.
The Acting Principal of Jahan College of Education, Mr Abdul-Moomin Abdul-Aziz, commended the PURC for the education and said it would enable the students use the utilities wisely.