The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has announced plans to undertake a nationwide meter audit aimed at combating electricity theft, reducing commercial losses and improving the accuracy of electricity billing across its operational areas.
The exercise will involve the inspection of prepaid and postpaid electricity meters, Special Load Tariff (SLT) installations and their associated wiring.
According to the power distribution company, the initiative forms part of broader efforts to protect revenue, identify irregularities in metering systems and ensure that customers are billed for the electricity they consume.
ECG Says No Individual Appointment Letters Will Be Issued
In its public announcement, ECG informed customers that the nationwide notice would serve as official notification of the exercise.
The company explained that it would not issue additional appointment letters or individual advance notifications before authorised personnel visit premises.
Consequently, landlords, tenants, estate managers, property managers, facility managers and security personnel have been urged to cooperate with legitimate ECG officials conducting inspections.
The company stressed that the absence of a separate notification letter should not, by itself, be used as a reason to deny or delay access to properly identified personnel.
However, customers are encouraged to confirm the identity of anyone claiming to represent ECG before allowing access to their property.
What ECG Officials Will Inspect
The nationwide exercise is expected to focus on the condition and integrity of electricity metering installations.
Inspectors will examine prepaid and postpaid meters, electricity connections and associated wiring to determine whether consumption is being recorded accurately.
Special Load Tariff installations, generally associated with larger electricity consumers, are also included in the exercise.
The audit is intended to identify metering irregularities that could affect billing and contribute to electricity losses.
ECG has not publicly provided a detailed regional inspection timetable or confirmed a specific commencement date in the announcements reviewed.
How Customers Can Verify ECG Officials
To protect customers from impersonation, ECG has outlined procedures for confirming the identities of its employees and authorised agents.
Customers can verify personnel using the company’s USSD service:
- Dial *226# on a mobile phone.
- Select Option 5, labelled Verify Staff.
- Enter the six-digit verification code provided by the ECG official.
- Check the displayed name, region and district.
- Confirm that the information matches the person requesting access.
Alternatively, customers can contact ECG’s Customer Call Centre on 0302 611 611.
The company says all participating employees and authorised agents will carry official identification cards.
Customers who cannot verify an individual’s identity should contact ECG directly before permitting an inspection.
What the Law Says About Access to Electricity Meters
ECG has cited Regulation 4(h) of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (Customer Service) Regulations, 2020 (L.I. 2413), in support of its request for customer cooperation.
The regulation provides for utility employees or authorised agents to receive safe and reasonable access to premises for meter readings and inspections.
Such access is subject to the presentation of verifiable identification and compliance with the utility’s prescribed access procedures.
The requirement therefore does not mean customers must admit unidentified individuals merely because they claim to be conducting an ECG inspection.
Why the Nationwide Meter Audit Matters
Electricity theft and other commercial losses can undermine a power distribution company’s ability to recover revenue from electricity supplied to customers.
Unauthorised connections, meter interference and inaccurate consumption records may also create billing disputes and complicate efforts to improve service delivery.
By examining meters and related installations, ECG hopes to strengthen revenue collection and improve confidence in its metering systems.
The initiative also comes months after public concerns about electricity bills and meter accuracy prompted ECG to request independent meter testing by the Ghana Standards Authority.
Although that earlier testing initiative and the newly announced nationwide audit address related concerns, they are distinct exercises.
What Electricity Customers Should Do
Customers are advised to make their meters reasonably accessible, keep relevant electricity account information available and cooperate with officials whose identities have been verified.
Households and businesses should also pay attention to the condition of their electricity connections and report suspected faults through official ECG channels.
Where a customer disputes an inspection finding or a resulting bill, the matter should be raised through ECG’s formal customer-service and complaint procedures.
The nationwide audit is expected to attract considerable public attention, particularly among consumers concerned about billing accuracy and the possibility of unauthorised individuals impersonating utility workers.
For now, ECG’s message is that customers should cooperate with the exercise while taking appropriate steps to verify every official requesting access.
FaceTVNews will continue monitoring announcements concerning the audit’s commencement, regional schedule and any additional instructions for electricity consumers.
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