The Accra East region of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has retrieved over 40 fake meters at Oyarifa in the Dodowa District.

According to the Commercial Manager of the Accra East Region, Jonathan Asante, the power distribution company has been facing such incidents for some time now, but it always finds it difficult to apprehend the culprits because persons hardly volunteer information to it. The task force discovered the fake meters on their routine checks to inspect the health of ECG meters.

“Even if it is our staff that is behind this, we are ready to take them on, but it is difficult to find the truth because the people here are not willing to open up to us. Some of the customers have been using these meters for years and it is just a few of them that were truthful enough to come and notify us.”
Jonathan Asante

On his part, the Public Relations Manager of the Accra East Region of ECG, also disclosed that the ECG has been to the area prior to that and removed those meters only to return to meet them reconnected.

“Some of the team came here first and noticed that there were meters that were not from the ECG, and so we removed some of them but as we came, we realized that they have reconnected again. It is difficult to tell the number of customers that are involved but at the end of the day, we will find out the numbers involved.”
Public Relations Manager of the Accra East Region of ECG

ECG disconnects UMaT, others

Meanwhile, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has disconnected the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) and the Johnson and Co. Mining Company in Tarkwa for failure to pay bills of GH¢2.4 million.

Speaking during the disconnection exercise, the Western Regional Public Relations Officer for the ECG, Benjamin Quarcoo, indicated that the action forms part of a nationwide revenue mobilization.

“Johnson and Co. Mining owe us to the tune of GH¢1.2 million, and we are hoping that by the time we leave here, they will be able to settle their debt. Earlier on, we have to knock the University of Mines and Technology off the grid as a result of a GH¢1.2 million debt owed to the ECG.”
Benjamin Quarcoo

Furthermore, Mr Quarcoo denied rumours that the ECG was targeting some specific agencies and individuals by disconnecting them from the national grid. He assured customers of the Company’s commitment to catering to their needs.

“We are not victimizing any customer and if anybody should cry victim, then it should be the ECG because we have supplied electricity and our customers are refusing to pay us.”
Benjamin Quarcoo

In ECG’s bid to recoup debt owed it by defaulting companies, institutions and individuals alike, the government has expressed its support to the drive. ECG, the main power distributor in the country, is saddled with huge debts owed to power generators including the Volta River Authority (VRA), the Bui Power Authority (BPA) and Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

It owes nine IPPs, which controls about 50 percent of the country’s electricity generation mix, about $1.4 billion as of February this year.

A Deputy Minister of Energy, Herbert Krapah, gave the assurance on the margins of the launch of the 10th anniversary of the Electrical Wiring Programme (EWP) by the Energy Commission. He stated that the current focus was to support the company to retrieve its tariff arrears of over GHC5.7 billion owed by power consumers.

Mr Krapa noted the current revenue mobilization drive by ECG was a step in the right direction as it would make the public utility company more resourceful to enable it to meet its commitments.