The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has announced they have empowered franchise officers, commonly known as metre readers, to disconnect the electricity supply over unpaid bills.
According to the ECG Public Relations Officer in the Ashanti West region, Benjamin Obeng Antwi, Metre readers are now authorised to disconnect power from households with unpaid bills.
Before, the Metre readers were equipped to access and verify meter readings and calculate power consumed by customers.
He further detailed that for customer safety, franchise officers, commonly known as metre readers, will be provided with official identification cards and introductory letters from ECG.
Benjamin Obeng Antwi is quoted to have said, “Now the franchise officers have been empowered to disconnect your meter. If they come to your premises and you owe, they show you your bill, and ask you to go and pay”.
“The caveat is that they don’t accept cash. They only let you use the cashless system. Either through the short code *226# or the ECG power app, and you make payments on your own,” he explained.
“We have even added a prepaid monitor to their activities. they can come to your premises and monitor your prepaid as well,” he said.
Some Ghanaians reacting to the development stated, “You think I care, mine is disconnected, yet the app shows the meter still reads, and over four months now, bill still comes. They can come for their meter”.
A netizen added, “These meter readers have been doing this for ages. Except that when you give them something small, they smile and leave without doing their job”.
In related news, the Energy Minister, John Jinapor, has ordered the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to probe rapid prepaid credit depletion complaints.
The announcement was made known by Richmond Rockson, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, who was responding to a social media post on X.
According to Richmond Rockson, the Energy Minister has taken note of the rapid prepaid credit depletion complaints and has directed the ECG to provide a report within 7 days.
In his statement posted on X, Richmond Rockson wrote, “The Minister of Energy and Green Transition Hon. Dr John Abdulai Jinapor has taken notice of these complaints and has directed ECG to investigate and provide a report to him within 7 days for further action”.
The directive follows a surge in public outcry from consumers across the country who have taken to social media to lament the current pace at which prepaid electricity credits are running.
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