Ghana’s southern power distribution company, ECG, in Tema Region has commenced the installation of smart meters (Pre-Payment Meters) in the Kroboland in the Eastern Region.
The smart meters installation exercise has started in Kpong and is expected to be rolled out in Odumase, Somanya and other towns in the Kroboland.
As of Wednesday, May 4, 2022, only 25 smart meters had been installed in both residential and non-residential areas.
The Tema Regional Manager of ECG, Ing Emmanuel Akinie, who revealed this during an engagement with stakeholders in Odumase-Krobo on Thursday, said they were doing the installation slowly so that “if there are problems, we will be able to identify them and resolve them.”
That said, Ing. Emmanuel Akinie noted they had so far not encountered any challenge since the beginning of the exercise.
According to him, the exercise went on smoothly.
“Some customers have purchased credit successfully,” he said.
Ing Akinie told the gathering that management had decided to wave the internal protocols whereby postpaid meter customers who are migrated onto the prepaid meters pay part of their outstanding debt anytime they purchase credit.
He said those who have purchased credit onto their prepaid in Kpong could attest to the fact that there were no deductions made to settle their outstanding debt when they purchased credit.
“ECG will not use the prepaid meters to manage the payment of a debt,” he assured the customers.
Touching on the four years of outstanding bills owed by residents, Ing Akinie said upon further engagement with stakeholders and the national security, management had extended the two years duration to five years to make it more flexible for them to pay.
The ECG also took advantage to educate the gathering about the importance of using prepaid meters.
Madam Puumaaiya Ruhiya Fuseini, Marketing Officer, Tema Region said with smart meters or prepaid meters, consumers could manage their electricity consumption.
According to her, with the use of prepaid meters, consumers would no more suffer disconnection as compared to the postpaid meters where consumers are disconnected from the grid for non-payment of bills.
“When you realise you’re consuming more power, you can decide to put some of your appliances like refrigerator and other things off for some hours or days to save cost,” she stated.
Nene Asada Author, PRO of Manya Krobo Traditional Council, who was the chairman of the occasion, urged residents of Kroboland to allow ECG to carry out the installation of the prepaid meters since it would be of help to them.
He, however, urged ECG to resolve any issue the residents may raise.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com