Ashanti West ECG sets out to install 200,000 meters

As part of its efforts to reduce system losses and improve its revenue, the Ashanti West Region of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has embarked on a mass replacement of all post-paid and faulty pre-paid meters in the region.

The exercise forms part of the Loss Reduction Project (LRP) of the ECG to make the system more efficient and reduce the incidents of overbilling and delayed service connection to customers.

The exercise is currently ongoing in six districts, which have in the past had problems with their billing.

These districts are Suame, Denyame, Kokoben, Ahinsan, Adum and Abuakwa and in the future, the exercise will be extended to the Bibiani and Offinso districts, all under Ashanti West.

In all, about 200,000 meters are expected to be installed in the region by the end of the exercise.

Objective

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Ashanti West Regional Manager of the ECG, Maxwell Dapaah, said the project addressed three key issues affecting customers and the company in the region.

He said the main objective was to ensure that all post-paid meters in the system were replaced with prepaid meters compliant with the Meter Management System (MMS), as part of the energy accountability process.

He said due to a shortage of meters, the company was unable to supply meters to new customers who have applied to be connected to the national grid.

He said this had compelled some of the customers to resort to illegal connections “and when this happens, it is the company that loses.”

Secondly, he said most of the meters in the system were overaged and had become faulty, so the company was recording losses from those meters.

Replacement

The exercise would also replace all those faulty meters and the Self Help Electrification Project (SHELP) meters, most of which are not captured on the ECG system.

The bottom line, according to him, is to improve service delivery to customers, improve revenue of the company and reduce the cost of production.

“It is a win-win situation for both the customer and the company.

While the customer can monitor and control their energy consumption, the company also improves on its efficiency and reduces its losses,” he said.

With this new MMS, the Public Relations Officer of Ashanti West Region, Collins Manu, said the customer had the opportunity to “use electricity wisely as they become more aware of the cost of keeping non-essential appliances running.

“You can use your mobile phone to top up credit in the comfort of your office or home and it is convenient, safe and secure for use on the ECG mobile App,” he said.