Power Outages in Ghana: Understanding Dumsor and How to Cope

Power outages in Ghana at a glance

Ghana is no stranger to electrical blackouts. Power outages in Ghana are so common that there is a local nickname for them: dumsor, an Akan term meaning “off and on”. If you plan to live, work remotely, or travel in Ghana, it is important to understand why these outages happen frequently and how to deal with them. This guide breaks down the causes of Ghana’s power cuts, the regions most affected, the key players in the power sector, and practical tips, from backup solutions like solar to staying productive during an outage.

Along the way, you will also find links to other helpful guides on this site, including best internet in Ghana and crime in Ghana and safety tips, so you can plan a realistic daily life in Ghana around power, internet, and safety.

What are power outages called in Ghana?

Locally, Ghanaians refer to frequent blackouts as dumsor (pronounced “doom saw”). The word comes from the Twi language:
“dum” means “to turn off” and “sor” means “to turn on”. The term describes the off and on pattern of electricity supply and has become
shorthand for persistent, unpredictable power outages in Ghana.

The word dumsor became popular around 2012 and 2013 when power outages grew more frequent and frustrating. You will hear this term
in everyday conversations, on the news, on social media, and even on protest signs. It is an intrinsic part of modern Ghanaian
vocabulary and a concept you need to know if you are considering relocation.

Why power outages in Ghana happen so often

Several underlying issues contribute to frequent power outages in Ghana. While the situation has improved compared to the peak of the crisis, blackouts still occur regularly in many areas. Key reasons include:

• Supply can fall below demand: At some points Ghana has not generated enough electricity to meet national demand.
  In the mid 2010s the available generation capacity dropped hundreds of megawatts below what was needed, forcing severe load
  shedding. Rapid growth in electricity consumption each year puts continuous pressure on supply.
• Dependence on hydropower and fuel: Ghana relies heavily on hydro dams and gas fired plants. Droughts can lower
  dam levels and reduce hydro output. Gas supply interruptions and fuel shortages can force thermal plants offline and trigger
  nationwide outages.
• Aging infrastructure: Many transmission lines, transformers, and other equipment are several decades old. When
  maintenance is delayed, this outdated infrastructure fails more often or cannot handle current loads. Cities like Kumasi have seen
  rotating outages linked to obsolete equipment and grid upgrades.
• Financial constraints: The power sector has struggled with debts and funding gaps. For years electricity tariffs
  did not fully cover production costs, leaving utilities in debt and slowing repairs or expansion. Payment disputes have even led
  some large private power plants to shut down temporarily.
• Losses and theft: Technical losses, illegal connections, and non payment are serious problems in some regions,
  especially in the north. When a distributor loses a large share of the power it buys, it has less money to improve service or keep
  up with maintenance.
• Load management and maintenance outages: When generation is short or infrastructure needs fixing, utilities use
  load shedding (planned rotating outages) to prevent a total grid collapse. Utilities may publish timetables that
  show when your area will have “lights off”. More recently some of this is rebranded as “maintenance outages” or nicknamed
  “dum siesie”, meaning “off for repair”.

In short, power outages in Ghana come from a mix of supply challenges, old equipment, losses, and financial and organizational problems. Installed capacity has grown in recent years, but dumsor is not fully a thing of the past.

The dumsor crisis in historical context

Power cuts are not new in Ghana. There were well known shortages in the 1980s and 1990s, but the situation peaked in the early to mid 2010s. This period is often referred to simply as the dumsor crisis.

Between about 2012 and 2015, Ghana faced an unprecedented power crisis. Electricity supply was so inadequate that utilities imposed marathon blackouts. At one point in 2015 many urban residents endured a cycle of 12 hours with electricity followed by 24 hours without. These long off periods disrupted daily life and damaged the economy.

Businesses were forced to buy fuel for generators or cut production. Students studied by candle or flashlight. Households dealt with spoiled food and unreliable water supply. Estimates suggest that the economy lost around one billion US dollars in a single year due to power shortages. The crisis sparked public protests. People held vigils and marches carrying lamps and generators to pressure the government to act.

In response, the government brought in emergency power solutions, including barge mounted power plants, agreements with independent power producers, and accelerated maintenance on existing plants. By around 2016 and 2017 these efforts added enough capacity that
officials declared that dumsor was over. The supply picture improved, but long term contracts and fuel costs created new debts in the power sector.

Even in recent years, however, Ghanaians remain wary of a full return of dumsor. Maintenance shutdowns or fuel hiccups still lead to local load shedding. Timetables are sometimes released for repairs, and payment disputes have triggered shutdown threats from private power producers. The official line is that these are temporary challenges, but power reliability remains a hot topic in public debate.

Major power companies in Ghana

Responsibility for keeping the lights on in Ghana is divided among a group of generators, a national transmission company, and several distributors, plus regulators who oversee them. The main players you will encounter if you live in Ghana include:

• Volta River Authority (VRA): State owned generator that operates the large hydro dams (Akosombo, Kpong) and several
  thermal plants. VRA supplies bulk power and has a distribution arm in some areas.
• Bui Power Authority (BPA): State generator that operates the Bui Dam and feeds hydro power into the grid.
• Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo): State owned transmission company that manages the high voltage network moving
  electricity from generators to distributors across the country.
• Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG): The main distributor in the south. ECG supplies power to most of the population,
  including major cities in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, Volta, Central, Western and parts of the northern belt. If you live in
  Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Takoradi, Cape Coast or similar areas, ECG is usually your provider.
• Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo): A VRA subsidiary that distributes power in the northern third of
  the country. NEDCo covers cities such as Tamale and Wa and large rural areas in Upper East, Upper West, Northern, Savannah, Bono,
  Ahafo and nearby regions.
• Enclave Power Company (EPC): A private distributor that serves specific industrial enclaves, such as parts of the Tema
  Free Zones and some industrial parks.
• Independent Power Producers (IPPs): Private companies that run thermal plants and other generation assets under
  contract. These include well known plants like Sunon Asogli, Cenpower, Karpowership, AKSA, and others.

Regulators such as the Energy Commission and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) set technical standards, approve tariffs, and handle consumer complaints. Understanding this landscape helps you know who to contact in case of problems. In Accra you deal with ECG. In much of the north you deal with NEDCo.

Regions in Ghana most affected by power outages

Power outages in Ghana affect both urban and rural areas, but there are clear differences in how often they occur and how long they last. Recent data and reports show a pattern:

In the northern regions served by NEDCo, customers have historically experienced far more outages per year than those in ECG’s southern network. Rural customers in some northern areas have recorded more than one hundred outages per year on average. Even NEDCo metro customers in cities like Tamale see far more interruptions than Accra residents.

In contrast, metro Accra under ECG has recorded much lower outage counts per year, often under a few dozen. Accra and other major southern cities also benefit from critical infrastructure such as government offices, hospitals, and the international airport, which tend to be buffered with dedicated feeders or standby generators.

Rural areas often suffer the most. A fault on a long feeder can take hours to fix, and crews may have to travel long distances. Voltage can be very low at the edges of the network, so lights may dim or flicker before a full outage. At the same time, access to off grid solar solutions is expanding, and more communities are exploring small solar systems to reduce dependence on the grid.

For a broader sense of where regions and major cities are located, you can review our

Ghana map and regional structure guide
.

Best places to live for more reliable power

No part of Ghana is completely immune from dumsor, but some locations are better than others if power reliability is a top priority. In general, the best odds are in major southern urban centers with solid infrastructure and built in backup.

Accra and Tema

The Greater Accra Region, which includes Accra and neighboring Tema, usually has the most robust power infrastructure. Many government institutions, foreign embassies, and large companies are located here, which creates pressure to keep the lights on. Many apartments
and houses in areas like Cantonments, East Legon, and Airport Residential have standby generators or inverter systems.

Kumasi

Kumasi, Ghana’s second largest city, has a relatively strong grid but also periodic challenges, including maintenance related load shedding. Living in central Kumasi is generally better than being in smaller towns in the surrounding regions. Hotels, co working spaces, and many businesses have backup generators.

Cape Coast and Takoradi

Mid sized coastal cities like Cape Coast and Sekondi Takoradi have fewer outages than many inland rural areas. Takoradi, in particular, benefits from being close to thermal plants that support the oil and gas sector. Both cities are under ECG’s southern network, which tends to be more reliable than the northern network overall.

Industrial and gated enclaves

Certain industrial zones, free zones, and gated communities are designed with near continuous power in mind. They may be supplied by Enclave Power Company or have large private generators and robust inverter and solar systems. Living in such communities can almost
eliminate personal exposure to dumsor, aside from the sound of generators.

Areas to approach with more caution

Remote villages, and some towns in the far northern regions, have the most frequent and prolonged outages. If you plan to live in those areas, you should treat independent power solutions as essential, not optional.

How to prepare for power outages in Ghana

Whether you are in a major city or a rural town, the best way to live with power outages in Ghana is to prepare for them. Ghanaians have developed many coping strategies. You can borrow the same habits.

• Keep devices charged: Avoid letting phones, laptops, tablets, and rechargeable lamps drop too low. When power is on,
  charge everything to full, including power banks.
• Use rechargeable lights, not candles: LED lamps and lanterns are safer and give better light than candles. They are
  widely sold in Ghana and can run for many hours.
• Store backup water: If your home relies on an electric pump, store water in buckets or tanks. That way you can flush
  toilets, cook, and wash even when lights are off.
• Protect your food: Use a cooler and ice packs if a long outage is expected. Keep the fridge door closed as much as
  possible so food stays cold longer.
• Follow outage schedules: When ECG or NEDCo publish load shedding or maintenance timetables, use them. Cook, iron,
  and charge devices before the scheduled off time.
• Unplug sensitive electronics: Surges when power returns can damage televisions, computers, and other electronics.
  Unplug them or use surge protectors during an outage.
• Label your breakers: Take time to label your home’s electrical panel. It makes it easier to isolate circuits or
  diagnose problems when power comes back.

For longer term resilience, consider investing in backup power:

• UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply): Keeps your router and computer running for short outages and protects against
  sudden shutdowns.
• Small generator: A basic petrol or diesel generator can run fans, a fridge, and some lights, but it requires fuel and
  is noisy.
• Inverter and battery system: Charges when power is available and silently powers essential loads during dumsor.
• Solar plus batteries: A rooftop solar system can handle lights, fans, and devices, and in some setups even larger
  loads. Costs vary, but over time solar can reduce your bills and dependence on the grid.

Staying informed is also important. Follow ECG, NEDCo, and the Ministry of Energy on social media, listen to local radio, and join neighborhood WhatsApp groups where people share outage updates and coping tips.

How to pass the time during lights out

Power cuts are inconvenient, but they do not have to be miserable. Many Ghanaians use dumsor as a chance to slow down, socialize, or focus on low tech activities.

• Talk and tell stories: Families and neighbors often sit outside when the lights go off. It is a good time to share
  stories, jokes, and news.
• Read or listen to audio: Keep physical books, an e reader, or downloaded podcasts and audiobooks handy so you can
  read or listen by rechargeable lamp.
• Play games: Board games, cards, Oware, and simple pen and paper games can all turn an outage into a social event.
• Go outside safely: In the evening, a short walk around the compound or a safe part of your neighborhood can be
  refreshing, as long as you stay alert.
• Practice hobbies: Play an acoustic instrument, draw by lamplight, write in a journal, or meditate.
• Rest: Sometimes the best use of dumsor time is a nap, especially if the heat makes it hard to do focused work.

If you have prepared with charged devices, water, and lights, you can treat outages as forced downtime rather than emergencies.

Tips for remote workers and digital nomads in Ghana

If your income depends on staying online, power outages in Ghana require a bit more planning. Many digital nomads and remote workers have already figured out how to stay productive despite dumsor. You can copy their playbook.

• Have at least two internet options: Combine home broadband or fiber with mobile data. Get SIM cards from at least
  two different providers, for example MTN and Vodafone, so you can fall back to a different network if one fails.
• Give your router backup power: A small UPS designed for routers can keep your Wi Fi running during short outages.
  Some people use larger power banks or small “solar generators” to charge laptops and routers.
• Know your backup workspaces: In Accra, co working spaces and many modern cafes have generators and welcome remote
  workers. Keep a short list of places you can move to quickly when a long outage hits.
• Choose housing with backup: When booking an apartment or guesthouse, ask specifically about generators and inverter
  systems. Paying a bit more for reliable backup can be worth it if your work is time sensitive.
• Schedule with dumsor in mind: Do calls and heavy tasks when power is usually on, and line up offline tasks for
  likely outage windows. Save work often and use cloud backups.
• Use your phone smartly: Keep your phone charged and ready for tethering. Many cell towers have their own backups,
  so mobile data may keep working even when home internet fails.
• Manage noise: Generators are loud. Noise cancelling headphones can make calls and deep work much easier if your
  neighborhood runs multiple generators during dumsor.

Combined with a good internet setup from our
best internet in Ghana guide, these strategies make remote work in Ghana realistic, even with occasional power cuts.

Long term solutions and outlook

Persistent power outages in Ghana have pushed both households and the government to look for lasting solutions. At the household level, more people are investing in solar panels, inverters, and efficient backup systems. Community projects sometimes pool resources
to power shared borehole pumps or phone charging stations with solar.

At the national level, the government and utilities are working on several fronts:

• Expanding and managing generation capacity: Ghana has added many megawatts of capacity and sometimes exports power
  to neighbors when there is surplus. The challenge is paying for fuel and contracts in a sustainable way.
• Growing renewables: New solar farms, especially in the north, and other renewable projects are slowly changing the
  energy mix. A moratorium on new solar projects has been lifted, opening the door for more private investment.
• Upgrading the grid: Donor funded and government projects aim to replace old lines, build new substations, and
  install smart meters that help cut down on theft and losses.
• Fixing utility finances: Tariff adjustments and debt restructuring are intended to put utilities on a more stable
  footing so they can maintain infrastructure and pay power producers on time.
• Supporting private and decentralised power: Policies now encourage companies and communities to install their own
  generation, particularly solar, sometimes with the option to sell excess power to the grid.

For now, anyone moving to Ghana should plan with the assumption that dumsor still exists, even if it is less severe than in the worst years. The good news is that Ghanaians are highly experienced at coping, and there is a growing ecosystem of products and services built around backup power and solar. With careful planning, you can live and work in Ghana comfortably while the country continues
to strengthen its power system.

Sources

• Dumsor, background and history
• GeoPoll: Ghana’s electricity crisis and public opinion
  
• United States International Trade Administration: Ghana energy sector overview
  
• Electricity Monitor Ghana: outage frequency and utility performance data
  
• Explore Kumasi: local coverage of outages, maintenance, and coping tips
  
• Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG)
• Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo)
• Remote work and digital nomad guides for Ghana