The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has initiated a major project to replace outdated and malfunctioning electricity meters in the Accra East region with advanced Smart MMS-compliant prepaid meters.

This initiative is part of ECG's broader strategy to modernize its metering system and ensure accurate revenue collection, scheduled to take place from September 2 to September 30, 2024.

The project will focus on key operational districts including Makola, Teshie, Legon, Roman Ridge, Kwabenya, Mampong, Dodowa, and Adentan, with a goal to replace 250,000 meters.

ECG’s Director of Communications, William Boateng, explained that the replacement exercise, mandated by the Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC), aims to enhance service delivery, improve customer satisfaction, and address issues with outdated meters that do not accurately record electricity consumption.

The decision to replace the outdated meters follows a significant revenue collection shortfall reported by ECG.

Boateng disclosed that the company faced a revenue gap of over GH¢893 million due to malfunctioning old meters that did not communicate correctly with ECG’s servers. This shortfall, occurring between July and August 2024, led to inaccurate recording of customer consumption.

He, however, mentioned that the revenue gap is expected to be gradually recovered as customers repay their outstanding debts in installments.

“These are meters that have run their due course. They were not working accurately and needed to be replaced. Once the replacement was completed, we expect the situation to stabilise, thereby improving the company's revenue fortunes,” he is quoted by myjoyonline.com.

Boateng emphasised that the replacement of these outdated meters was necessary as they were no longer functioning accurately and needed to be replaced to stabilise the situation and improve the company's revenue.

The new Smart MMS-compliant prepaid meters are said to offer increased reliability and efficiency. Customers will have the ability to top up their credits remotely using the ECG Power App or a short code (*226#), providing convenience and flexibility in managing electricity consumption.

This upgrade is part of ECG’s Loss Reduction Project (LRP) which aims to decrease technical and commercial losses and enhance overall operational efficiency.

To ensure a seamless transition, ECG has assured customers that any outstanding credit balances on their old meters will be transferred to the new smart prepaid meters.

William Boateng also mentioned that the meter replacement is free of charge and cautioned customers against making any payments to individuals conducting the replacement.

He expressed confidence that the new system would lead to improved financial performance for ECG despite the initial revenue shortfall.

ID/MA