The Electricity Company of Ghana has begun a massive disconnection exercise in the Ashanti Region in a bid to retrieve outstanding debts owed it by consumers.

The Suame District of the company in Kumasi has already cut power supply to about 170 houses and institutions, Accra-based TV3 reports.

The exercise took place in areas such as Bantama, Abrepo junction, Suame, Kropo, Breman, Bohyen and other places located in the Suame district of ECG.

READ ALSO: Dumsor is back; publish timetable now - ACEP to Gov't

Officials of the company say the exercise is expected to be carried out in other parts of the region to enable the company to retrieve their debts.

Currently, only 40 percent of consumers in the region pay their bills regularly, the ECG officials have lamented.

"A lot of public institutions owe us and they are not making any efforts to pay for what they have consumed and that is putting a lot of stress and strain on the company’’, the public relations manager of the Electricity Company of Ghana, Ashanti region, Erasmus Kyere Baidoo told Accra-based TV3.

READ ALSO: ACEP predicts the comeback of dumsor in Nana Addo’s early days

Several parts of Kumasi have recently been witnessing erratic power supply, which has often lasted for days.

But Mr Kyere Baidoo said his outfit is putting in measures to solve the problem by the first week of March.