Electricity theft to end with new IMES smart metering technology

Electricity theft may well be a thing of the past, that's if the words of Chief Operating Officer of the Intelligent Metering and Energy Solutions Company, Frederick Frimpong are anything to go by.

IMES Ghana – an intelligent metering and energy solutions company - on Tuesday launched new electricity meters that will help the Electricity Company of Ghana fight the menace of electricity theft that usually leads to a loss of revenue.

Frederick Frimpong is optimistic the made in Ghana meters will provide the ECG easier access to their clients and help boost customer confidence in the delivery of services.

The smart meters, according to him, would not only regulate electricity but provide communication on the use of the meter.

A central point where all the meters are monitored
Mr Frimpong said “these meters can remotely connect and disconnect, and alert…so if someone tampers with a meter it will automatically alert you to let you know that a meter in such a location has been tampered with. This makes them smart meters”.

He also indicated that the meters are built with dual pole relay sensors which send alerts to a control room when someone tampers with a meter through illegal connection.

Each meter is fixed with a monitor to access its activities constantly

“They can even remotely disconnect you, that’s how smart the meter is”, he added.

Mr Frimpong said the meters will be handed over to the ECG for distribution to customers.

The IMES assembly plant is able to produce about 500,000 pre-paid meters in a year.