Take advantage of moratorium, rectify meter status – ECG tells customers

Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has encouraged customers to take advantage of the moratorium it has declared to audit meters countrywide to avoid brushes with law.

The one-month moratorium is from June 7 to July 7, 2022, and will afford customers to report to ECG District and Regional Offices for rectification of post-paid customers who have meters but do not receive bills.

It extends also to prepaid customers whose meters are faulty, customers who have by-passed or tampered with their meters and are, therefore, not paying for the full cost of power usage as well as those who have engaged in any form of electrical illegality.

“Please note that after this moratorium, customers who are caught stealing electricity, which is criminal, will be charged with the offence of stealing in accordance with the law and their names shall be   published widely,” Director, Customer Services of ECG, Mr Abraham  Anokye Abeberese told journalists at a  news conference at Takoradi in the Western Region on Wednesday.

The meter audit, he said, was part of a field survey to be done by ECG officials to update customer information.

Mr Abebrese explained that after the expiration of the moratorium, a Task Force would be visiting premises to effect the exercise and hoped customers would comply with the new directives.

He added that “when the teams visit, they will leave slips for customers who might not be at home to  indicate their telephone numbers for further directions”.

Again, he indicated that future bills would also be sent through  SMS text messages.

The ECG Customer Service Director told journalists that in line with Public Utilities Regulatory Commission benchmarks, the company was desirous to deal with about 30 percent losses.

He stressed  “ We want to seal the leakages and so we want  all customers to  participate in this exercise  because the commercial  loss is the worry.”

From Clement Adzei Boye, Takoradi