Understanding the electricity requirements of a new country can be daunting. Which adaptor? Which voltage? Do I need a stabilizer? This article explains the basic requirements for electrical appliances to be used for travel, work or life in Ghana.
The most important thing to know is:
- Voltage is 240V (British)
- Power plugs are British type with 3 prongs
It is advisable to bring a multi-socket adaptor for non-British plugs. Alternatively, these are available all over Ghana for 2 Ghana Cedis (US $1.50).
Voltage regulators
If bringing equipment from North America or other countries that run on 110V, check the fine print underneath the electric equipment such as a laptop or PC to see whether it can be run on the higher voltage.
If bringing electrical equipment that runs on 110V to Ghana, it’s wise to use a voltage regulator in Ghana when you plug it into the 240V system. These are designed specifically to regulate machines designed for lower voltage. Be sure to check that the voltage regulator functions between 50 and 60 Hz.
Mains Electricity explains that : "Voltages are generally in the range 100–240 V (always expressed as root-mean-square voltage). The two commonly used frequencies are 50 Hz and 60 Hz."
Surge protectors and stabilizers
The electricity supply fluctuates daily in Ghana. Power surges hit the entire country from time to time, but more commonly by town or even a particular part of a town. Protecting electrical equipment is a challenge, but it’s not impossible.
There are two options for protecting electrical equipment, whatever its voltage, in Ghana.
Surge protectors
Surge protectors are useful for the regular, small fluctuations that happen almost constantly such as when lights become brighter or dimmer. Surge protectors plug into wall sockets and protect the equipment plugged into them, like a charging cell phone, a computer, television or radio. They do protect against the smaller fluctuations and are recommended for less valuable equipment like cell phones so as not to ruin the battery or hardware, but not against a truly powerful and sudden surge. Surge protects cost upwards of 40 Ghana Cedis (US$30).
Stabilizers
It’s paramount to protect valuable equipment from serious surges with a stabilizer, as opposed to a protector. This would most likely include computers and valuable office equipment. Stabilizers, as their name suggests, “stabilize” the power supply to electrical equipment so as to prevent damage. They balance the heavy surges and usually include a button to set to delay the time between a surge and the supply of power so that the stabilizer can regulate the supply during the delay period. Stabilizers cost upwards of 90 Ghana Cedis each (US$65) and it is well worth the investment.
Tips on dealing with power cuts and electricity fluctuations in Ghana
Since the power can cut at any moment, many people lose their emails mid-email or writing mid-paragraph when the power cuts.
When writing emails in a public internet café, try writing in a word-processing application like Word or Notepad and save it on the hard-drive. If the power cuts, the document and hard work will be there when it returns. Only do this is the information is not sensitive in case returning to the café to retrieve it later is not an option.
Alternatively, Gmail saves emails in progress, which is good for those traveling in countries with erratic power supply.
Similarly, Firefox web browser remembers what pages were open when it suddenly closes, including during power cuts.
Turn off all power points and unplug computers when not in use. Leaving them plugged in exposes them to power surges.
Gayle Pescud - Co-founder of G-lish Foundation in Ghana, an award winning non-profit that welcomes volunteers in Africa.
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