ECG commences installation of 10,000 prepaid meters in four communities in Krobo

The Krobo district of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has commenced preparations for the installation of smart prepaid meters for clients within its areas.

The targeted communities include Akrade, Atimpoku, Akuse, and Asutuare. The smart prepaid meters are compliant with the new Meter Management System (MMS) which allows customers to purchase prepaid credit online, without visiting vending points. 

The system also allows the company to monitor the meters remotely, and identify any interference or illegality when the meters are tampered with. 

The Krobo District ECG manager, Ing. Christopher Apawu explained during a press briefing at its district office at Somanya on Monday, December 4, 2023, that the initiative is in line with the power distribution company’s objective of providing quality services to its customers. 

The company ahead of the actual mass replacement exercise expected to commence in the first quarter of 2024 has already begun a pre-installation survey and general education on the functionality of the meters in the aforementioned areas.

About 10,000 postpaid meters in the four communities including 2,300 in Akrade, 2,500 in Atimpoku, 3,000 in Akuse, and 2,000 in Asutuare are expected to be replaced with the prepaid meters to its customers at the cost of ECG.

Though no specific timelines were given to complete the exercise, Ing. Apawu anticipated that this would be completed before the end of next year.

The exercise, according to the district manager is scheduled to commence following the successful engagement with leaders and members of Akrade and Atimpoku, adding that engagements with Akuse and Asutuare were yet to begin.

Following resistance to the installation of the meters in nearby Lower Manya Krobo in 2022, the district manager hoped that similar resistance would not arise in its new exercises.

Though the mass exercise is yet to begin, he said all new service requests in the aforementioned areas are being served with the prepaid meters.

He cautioned customers of the company to be on the lookout for unscrupulous persons who would seek to take advantage of the exercise to dupe them.

He also cautioned customers to refrain from the installation of unauthorized meters in anticipation that they’d be replaced with prepaid meters.

Warning that such practices are illegal, the district manager advised that culprits caught would face the full rigours of the law as the company already had data on all existing meters in the district.

The manager also called on the general public to further the support always given to the company to ensure the success of the exercise.

Some 19,898 meters have already been replaced in Lower Manya and Yilo Krobo with an additional 8,000 replacements being carried out in a mop-up exercise.

The ECG Krobo District embarked on a meter replacement project, from postpaid to prepaid meters with most of its customers in the Yilo and Lower Manya Krobo areas being placed on prepaid meters.