Tamale, July 16, GNA- The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), on Tuesday held a forum to educate students in the Tamale Metropolis on its functions and the conservation of water and energy, in Tamale.

The forum which was dubbed "Catch them young" was meant to instill in the youth the culture of conserving energy and water resources to sustain the utility companies and to reduce high bills charged on the utilities.

Mr. Abukari Jabari, Northern Regional Manager of the PURC, cautioned students against leaving taps opened after fetching water and also using electricity gadgets which consumed high voltages of energy in their dormitories.

He explained to the students that water and electricity they used in school was not free as their parents indirectly paid for them through payment of taxes.

Mr. Jabari who is also responsible for the Upper East and West Regions asked the students to educate their parents on the need to conserve energy and water and to make complains to the PURC if they had problems with issues concerning utilities. Mr. Dan Afropong, Consumer Services Manager of the PURC, said the country faced intermittent energy problems partly because many Ghanaians did not have the culture of energy conservation. He said it was in this light that PURC organised the forum to educate the students to enable them to appreciate the culture of energy and environmental conservation. Mr. Afropong said the PURC was among other things responsible for the fixing of tariffs, monitoring and setting of bench-makers for the utility companies. He said the PURC provides protection for consumers as well as a platform for making complains.