The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has warned consumers and the general public about the unlawful sale, distribution, and acquisition of fake meters in the Ashanti Region by some persons.
The electricity distributor raised worry over the circulation of fake meters in their operational zones, threatening to crack down on such unlawful activity.
This followed the confiscation of defective meters at the Dabala Checkpoint during a comprehensive examination of a bus departing from Aflao for Kumasi, as well as at Tech Junction in a VIP Bus. Investigations found that these meters were from Togo.
Mr Maxwell Dapaah, General Manager of ECG Ashanti-West, cautioned private persons not to install electric meters without first contacting ECG.
He emphasized that such meters would not be recorded in ECG’s system for invoicing and other commercial purposes.
Mr. Dapaah expressed concern about the impact of this practice on the company’s commercial and technical activities.
“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.”
Mr Dapaah further discovered that meters installed by private consumers do not comply with ECG’s meter requirements.
“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.
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He recommended clients to avoid purchasing counterfeit meters or dealing with unauthorized third parties when they want meters, instead contacting ECG directly for real meters.
“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 urged the public to support the company’s efforts to battle the spread of fake meters, which would allow ECG to collect enough income to maintain a reliable energy 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.
“Some customers even distribute electricity to other customers illegally with these fake meters and substandard networks that pose danger to life and property.”
Mr Dapaah advised users to download the ECG PowerApp or use the shortcode *226# to pay any overdue bills, allowing the firm to maintain a steady and dependable power supply.
