The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) announced a nationwide “ALL MUST PAY” exercise between 9th and 30th September. On paper, this was absolutely necessary to recover outstanding debts from private citizens and companies.
But such an exercise will only succeed if it goes hand in hand with accurate information from ECG itself and a serious clean-up of the “rot” within ECG.
The Other Side of the Story:
Yes, customers bypass meters, disappear when it’s time to pay, bribe ECG staff, and make illegal connections. BUT:
- ECG staff are almost always involved in illegal connections.
- ECG staff move meters around and sell them to please their private “customers.”
- ECG introduced systems that are not functioning.
- ECG doesn’t announce failures or replacements of equipment to customers.
- ECG’s payment and invoicing system is not customer-friendly.
- ECG’s remote reading and payment equipment lack simple, customer-friendly instructions.
All these create inconveniences for customers, loss of much-needed ECG income, and loss of state income. And many of these problems are “solved” by “friendly and willing” ECG staff at a not-so-official fee.
The Lazy Approach:
The “lazy” approach of ECG disconnecting clients in case of low, slow, or no payments, even when ECG’s own equipment fails needs attention. A fairer system would be:
- First warning: pay within 14 days
- Second warning: penalty and pay within 3 days
- Final warning: higher penalty and pay within 1 day
After that, disconnection within 24 hours.
But instead of this structured approach, ECG often disconnects ruthlessly, creating havoc for customers who may not even be at fault.
Prepaid, Postpaid Both Have Problems:
ECG supplies electricity to households and companies. It manages its own systems, distributes prepaid meters to most users, and leaves a smaller group on postpaid. ECG can see the usage of almost every meter in its offices.
In theory:
Prepaid clients pay online or through the ECG app. When the balance hits zero, supply cuts off automatically.
Postpaid clients receive monthly invoices.
In reality:
Prepaid clients can still build huge debts when bypassing meters often with ECG staff helping.
Postpaid clients receive invoices that don’t match outstanding amounts, sometimes no invoice at all, and often payments don’t show in the app.
So why does ECG wait sometimes over a year to cut a (sometimes unaware) customer, when they can see usage and balances in real time?
My Experience:
When I had a postpaid meter, I visited ECG offices regularly to check invoices. To avoid problems, I paid 5,000 GHS monthly for my guesthouse. Then invoices started coming, but without my payments. Each time, ECG staff harassed me, and each time I was told “don’t worry, it will be settled soon.” Seven months later, ECG finally adjusted my account but by then they owed me almost 21,000 GHS. They never refunded me; instead, they deducted it over months of bills until it balanced out.
My wife had a prepaid meter on her rental property. She thought she was safe until the tenant left and ECG suddenly produced a bill of over 11,000 GHS. How is that possible with a prepaid meter? ECG kept supplying power, even though they could see the outstanding amount from their office.
Prepaid should mean: “no upfront payment, no power”.
Another time, my daughter couldn’t pay through the app, but still received power. Four months later, ECG staff cut her off. When they came, they offered to “keep her power on” for “something” for them.
And I even discovered an illegal tenant had installed his own meter in his name on my property something only possible with ECG staff complicity. When I complained, ECG told me to pay the outstanding bills and bring property documents before they could put the meter back in my name. My question was simple: whose details did the tenant use to get the meter in the first place?
The Human Impact:
Cutting someone’s power, deserved or not, brings discomfort at best and havoc at worst. No electricity for families with small children, the elderly, or the vulnerable can be a disaster. For businesses, it can mean collapse. In the worst cases, it can lead to death.
And yet ECG staff exploit this, offering to keep power on in exchange for bribes.
What ECG Must Remember:
I know ECG is desperate to survive, desperate for money to pay its debts and prevent the collapse of our power sector. But unprofessional behavior will not create a good image for ECG or Ghana.
Never forget: Ghanaians are not just “users” we are clients who deserve good supply, accurate invoices, and respect.
A small suggestion: protect landlords. When tenants create debt, go after the abusers. Almost all of us have Ghana Cards now; ECG should target defaulters directly instead of chasing landlords.
And my last advice: before you take drastic measures like sudden disconnections, first make sure the problem isn’t caused by your own incompetence or the corruption of your staff.
But who am I just a concerned Ghanaian.
Source: ameyawdebrah.com/
