Low voltage, outages hit Ashaiman New York

By Miriam Oparebea, GNA  

 Ashaiman, May 13, GNA – Some residents of Ashaiman New York have expressed concern over the persistent low voltage and selective power outages that have disrupted domestic and commercial activities for several weeks. 

 The situation, characterised by dim electricity supply, has reportedly rendered household appliances ineffective and raised fears of permanent damage to expensive electronic equipment. 

The residents are therefore calling on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to conduct a technical assessment of the transformer serving Ashaiman New York to address the imbalance and restore stable electricity supply. 

Sharing their experiences with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), several affected residents described how the unstable power supply had forced them into difficult daily routines to keep their businesses and homes running. 

Mr Kofi Mensah, a landlord in the area, expressed worry about the long-term impact on his property, noting that even the pumping machine used to supply water to his tenants was struggling to function.  

“The water pump cannot even pull water because the voltage is too low. We have to wait until very late at night or early morning to see if the current becomes stronger. It is exhausting,” he lamented. 

 He added that at times the current became so low that power went off completely, only returning later in the evening or the following day. 

 “Because we use a pumping machine, I have advised my tenants to store enough water in case the situation worsens,” he added. 

 For small business owners, the crisis has become a battle for survival. A cold store operator, Madam Araba Tagoe, explained that she had been forced to monitor electricity supply patterns carefully to protect her deep freezers. 

 She noted that because the voltage slightly improved during the daytime, she powered her freezers in the morning but switched them off by 17:30 hours before the low current in the evening could damage them. 

 “In the evenings, the power is so weak that the freezer cannot stay cold. When I return home from work, I turn off almost everything and iron the children’s uniforms only in the morning,” she said. 

 Similarly, Mr Andrews Okine stated that his wife, who sells mashed kenkey, now spends her mornings freezing sachets of water to use as makeshift ice packs later in the day when the low voltage affects their cooling systems. 

 The crisis has also revealed growing community support for one another among residents. Ms Comfort Adu, an ice cream seller, disclosed that she relied on a neighbour connected to a different and more stable power line. 

 “I asked my friend in the compound if I could freeze my ‘abele walls’ in her freezer. As a single mother, she understands that my family depends on this business. I offer to pay part of her electricity bill because I do not want to overburden her,” she said. 

 Providing another perspective, Mr Desmond Baah, another resident, suggested that the challenge could be due to an overloaded power line. 

 According to him, the affected line used to be the most stable in the area, causing many residents to transfer their connections to it over time. 

 “I would not blame the ECG entirely because at one point this line was the best. But I wish they would do something about the current situation because the constant power fluctuations, especially in the evenings, make life very uncomfortable while our neighbours enjoy a stable electricity supply,” he noted. 

GNA 

Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Benjamin Mensah 
Reporter: Miriam Oparebea, GNA