The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has cautioned the public against the illegal sale, distribution, and purchase of fake meters in the Ashanti Region.
The company expressed worry over the distribution of fake meters in their operational areas and hinted at an exercise to clamp down on the crime.
This stern warning from the management of ECG follows the confiscation of substandard meters at the Dabala Checkpoint during a thorough inspection of a bus heading to Kumasi from Aflao, and also at Tech Junction in a VIP Bus.
Investigations revealed that the meters were smuggled from Togo.
The General Manager of ECG Ashanti-West branch, Mr. Maxwell Dapaah, cautioned private individuals against installing their electric meters without consulting ECG.
According to him, such meters would not be captured in ECG’s system for billing and other commercial activities.
He also lamented the impact of this practice on the commercial and technical operations of the company.
“It is illegal to import meters into the country and also acquire meters from other sources apart from ECG. We will take all necessary legal actions against individuals who are trying to infiltrate our network with these fake meters including those who aid them by selling or buying those meters,” he noted.
Mr Dapaah also disclosed that meters installed by individual customers do not meet ECG’s meter specifications.
“These meters are not tested and calibrated by ECG to meet the requirements stated by regulatory agencies such as the Energy Commission and the Ghana Standards Authority. Thereby posing danger such as fire outbreak, overloading and damage to transformers, resulting in prolonged outages and increased technical losses to the Company,” he said.
“With the introduction of the Loss Reduction Programme (LRP) and Flat rate policy, we have many options to service our customers anytime they apply for meters. So kindly visit the nearest ECG Office and apply to ensure you are served instead of engaging in the illegal act of purchasing from illegal sources,” he advised.
Mr Dapaah appealed to the general public to support the company in its efforts to combat the proliferation of fake meters, which would enable ECG to generate sufficient revenue to maintain a stable electricity supply chain.
“Users of these foreign meters are not in the ECG database so they consume electricity illegally without paying and this is not fair to customers who pay their bills. Such individuals usually complain that they are not receiving bills and this is because their meters were obtained and installed illegally without following the process of acquiring meters. We want everyone consuming electricity to prioritise the payment of bills since it is patriotic to pay for electricity consumed,” he added.
He continued, “Some customers even distribute electricity to other customers illegally with these fake meters and substandard networks that pose danger to life and property”.
Customers were advised to download the ECG PowerApp or use the shortcode *226# to pay outstanding bills, ensuring a stable and reliable power supply.