More Prepaid Meters In Accra

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has begun replacing meters of residential and commercial customers in the Accra Metropolitan Area with new pre-paid ones called the “Smart Cash” meters.

Currently, the project is in progress in the Korle-Bu District and would gradually be extended to other districts of the metropolis.

ECG said anyone who applied for a new supply or a separate meter in an area covered by this project would be provided with the Smart Cash meters.

“Consumers would be duly informed about the take-off of the project in their districts before it commences in their area,” the company stated.

The project would enable ECG to generate more income for national development, while consumers would be spared the agony of having to move to the offices of the company to complain about wrong reading of meters.

Furthermore, the company would no longer waste time chasing consumers to pay their bills.

Meanwhile, Stella Danso reports from Kumasi that electricity consumers in city, who have had their meters replaced with the Smart Cash ones, have taken issues with the authorities of ECG.

They questioned the quality and operational effectiveness of the new pre-paid meters being installed by the ECG in houses, arguing they were being imported from China.

Speculations had been rife in the city that Chinese made products including the pre-paid meters and other electrical appliances on the Ghanaian market were of inferior quality and could therefore create problems for customers.

However, in a quick rebuttal, Branch Director of the ECG, Ashanti West, Kofi Afewu debunked the speculation saying it was unfounded and baseless.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with CITY&BUSINESS GUIDE, the ECG official stressed that the pre-paid meters were of high quality, capable of providing effective and efficient services.

Mr. Afewu assured consumers that in the unlikely event that any of the meters got damaged or developed a fault, the company would bear the cost of repair.

He advised members of the public to handle the meters with care and report those who would engage in illegal electricity connections to the authorities for prosecution.

He gave the assurance that the changing of the old electricity meters with the prepaid ones was scheduled to be completed within two years.

In the Ashanti West District, he said, the company had so far installed 24 per cent of the meters in the central business district of Adum, adding that the exercise would be extended to Ahodwo, Atonsu and other parts of the Region soon.

By Felix Dela Klutse