The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) will soon begin a nationwide audit of electricity meters, as it moves to reduce losses and tackle power theft, according to a report by Citi Newsroom.
ECG says the exercise is intended "to verify the integrity of metering systems and ensure accurate measurement and billing of electricity consumption."
According to Citi Newsroom, the audit will cover:
The exercise will take place in all of ECG's operational areas. The company did not give a start date or duration, saying only that it will begin soon.
ECG says its public announcement "serves as official notice of the exercise," and that "no further prior notices or appointment letters will be issued," Citi Newsroom reports.
The company has asked customers, landlords, estate and facility managers and security staff not to deny or delay access to authorised personnel simply because they did not receive a letter. Under Regulation 4(h) of L.I. 2413, consumers are required to give safe and reasonable access, subject to verifiable identification and ECG's customer charter.
ECG has urged customers to verify the identity of anyone who comes to inspect their meters. According to Citi Newsroom:
More information is available on ECG's official social media pages.
ECG says the audit aims to "reduce commercial losses, improve revenue assurance and combat electricity theft." Losses from illegal connections, meter tampering and billing errors have long been a major problem for the utility and for Ghana's wider power sector.
When ECG cannot collect enough revenue for the power it distributes, it struggles to pay electricity producers, which adds to the power sector's debts and can affect the reliability of supply.
The verification advice is especially important because fraudsters have posed as ECG staff in the past. Earlier this month, Talk Talk reported on ECG warnings about fake meter sales and mobile money scams targeting customers. Using the *226# verification service before letting anyone into a home or business can help protect customers from criminals.
Customers should never pay money to individuals who claim to be ECG staff in exchange for fixing, replacing or "regularising" meters without going through official channels.
The audit comes during a busy period for Ghana's power sector. Last week, a fire at GRIDCo's Mallam substation cut power to parts of Accra, and ECG announced maintenance-related outages in parts of the capital. The government and utilities have also been working to improve revenue collection and reduce losses across the sector.
While customers are required to grant access to authorised staff, they also have the right to see identification and to receive explanations of any findings from the audit. Customers who believe their meters have been wrongly assessed can raise complaints through ECG's official channels and, where necessary, with the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), which regulates utility services in Ghana.
Customers will be watching for ECG to announce when the audit starts in their areas. Those with concerns about their meters or bills are encouraged to contact ECG through its official channels before the exercise begins.
