Energy Minister-designate John Jinapor has unveiled plans for a comprehensive upgrade of the Electricity Company of Ghana’s (ECG) metering system, with around 2.9 million meters needing immediate replacement to enhance revenue collection.
In response to a question from Lawrence Agyinsam, MP for Hemang Lower Denkyira Constituency, regarding enhancing ECG revenue collection and the potential elimination of postpaid meters, Jinapor disclosed alarming statistics about the existing state of ECG’s metering system.
“Of ECG’s 5.2 million total meters, 4.8 million are active, but about 3 million of these are not functioning properly,” Jinapor stated during his vetting on Monday. He said this malfunction represents a significant obstacle to effective revenue collection for the utility company.
To tackle these challenges, the minister-designate proposed plans to modernize the system using smart metering technology.
The proposed solution includes making meters available for direct purchase by consumers, with installation to be handled by licensed technicians.
The new system will incorporate mobile money integration, allowing customers to activate their meters through a code-based system. “Because sometimes it costs people more than four or five times to spend money to get the meter. So if we make it readily available and use economies of scale, I’m sure the price will come down,” Mr Jinapor explained.
