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The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has reached out to over 4000 students in selected second cycle institutions in the Eastern Region to educate them on the rights and responsibilities of consumers.

The exercise dubbed “catch them young” is to imbibe knowledge on the dos and don’ts of consumers in the students so that by the time they change agents in the use of power and other utilities and become responsible in the payment of their bills promptly and reporting faults for action.

Already the AME Zion SHS at Tafo, Koforidua Secondary Technical School and the Islamic Girls SHS at Suhum had benefited from the exercise.

The students at the separate gathering were taken through the establishment of the PURC, the rights and responsibilities of consumers, guide to electricity and water, complaints policy and procedures as well as energy and water conservation tips.

Addressing the students at the various schools, the Eastern Regional Director of the PURC, Mr Jude Aduamoah-Addo said responsible utility management was a two-way traffic between the producers of the utility such as the PDS and the GWCL on one hand and then the consumers on the other hand.

He said illegal connection, was not helpful and drained the utility producers of moneys that would have been used to improve services or extend to others and urged the students to be ambassadors of the rights and responsibilities of consumers.

Later, the PURC organized short quizzes at the various schools to ascertain the level of understanding of the education given them; those who were able to answer correctly were given small tokens in appreciation.

The exercise is part of the second quarter education activities lined up to sensitize consumers and all other stakeholders on their rights and responsibilities to ensure cordial relationship between the consumers and producers.