Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has issued a warning to the public in the Ashanti Region about the illegal sale and distribution of counterfeit meters.
The ECG is concerned about the proliferation of these fake meters in their service areas and has vowed to crack down on this illegal activity.
This announcement follows the seizure of substandard meters at the Dabala Checkpoint and Tech Junction during inspections of buses travelling to Kumasi from Aflao.
Investigations revealed that these metres originated in Togo.
Mr. Maxwell Dapaah, the ECG Ashanti-West General Manager, cautioned against the private installation of electric meters without ECG’s authorisation, emphasising the importance of adhering to proper procedures.
He stressed that these unauthorised metres would not be recorded in ECG’s system, complicating billing and other commercial processes.
Mr. Dapaah expressed concern over how this practice adversely affects the company’s commercial and technical operations.
“It is illegal to import metres into the country and also acquire metres from other sources apart from ECG.
We will take all necessary legal action against individuals who are trying to infiltrate our network with these fake metres, including those who aid them by selling or buying those metres.”
Mr Dapaah also revealed that metres installed by individual customers do not meet ECG’s metre specifications.
“These meters are not tested and calibrated by ECG to meet the requirements stated by regulatory agencies such as the Energy Commission and the Ghana Standards Authority.
“Thereby posing danger such as fire outbreak, overloading and damage to transformers, resulting in prolonged outages and increased technical losses to the company,” he said.
He advised customers to avoid purchasing fake metres or dealing with unauthorised third parties when they need meters, and instead, to contact ECG directly for genuine meters.
“With the introduction of the Loss Reduction Programme (LRP) and Flat rate policy, we have many options to service our customers anytime they apply for meters.
So kindly visit the nearest ECG office and apply to ensure you are served instead of engaging in the illegal act of purchasing from illegal sources,” he advised.
Mr Dapaah appealed to the general public to support the company in its efforts to combat the proliferation of fake meters, which would enable ECG to generate sufficient revenue to maintain a stable electricity supply chain.
“Users of these foreign meters are not in the ECG database so they consume electricity illegally without paying and this is not fair to customers who pay their bills.
Such individuals usually complain that they are not receiving bills and this is because their meters were obtained and installed illegally without following the process of acquiring meters. We want everyone consuming electricity to prioritise the payment of bills since it is patriotic to pay for electricity consumed,” he added.
“Some customers even distribute electricity to other customers illegally with these fake meters and substandard networks that pose danger to life and property.”
Mr Dapaah urged customers to download the ECG PowerApp or utilise the shortcode *226# to settle all outstanding bills, enabling the company to ensure a stable and reliable power supply.