ECG Installs 4,000 Prepaid Meters in Kibi

By Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman

Kibi — The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has installed more than 4,000 prepaid meters in Kibi, in the Eastern Region.

The project, which is aimed at replacing post-paid meters, is funded by the company at the cost of GH¢ 5.5million.

Briefing customers in Kibi on the project, Mr Yusif Adamu, the Project Engineer for Mugi Bhagu Harish Metering System, stated that the new prepaid meters 'lies in the use of the keypad operator (separate user interface)' rather than the card, which requires customers to swipe or insert to load electricity credits.

He explained that customers would no longer require a card, but would be expected to go to vending points with their meter numbers to buy credit, which would be loaded by the vendor unto their prepaid meters.

Mr Adamu said "This is possible because customers using this kind of meters are already onto a separate User Interface Unit (UIU), which has a GPRS compliment that enables purchases to be remotely credited to the meter from the point of sale".

He said customers could have the UIU installed at assessable locations in their premises, to enable them to manually operate the meter and to monitor their units.

Mr Adamu revealed that the prepaid meters had special features to detect illegal features, and could record customer consumption.

According to him, vending points had been commissioned in the Kibi District Office of ECG, and in some parts of the town, adding that vendors had been educated on the use of the meters.

He said the ECG would extend the project to other communities.

Mr Louis Nustugah, the ECG District Manager for Kibi, said the project "will help the company improve on revenue collection and customers would now have control over the amount of power they consume."

The first customer to be connected to the prepayment metering system in Kibi, Mr Bernard Asare, applauded the initiative, stating that it would enable him to estimate the amount of money he would want to commit to electricity every month.

Read Full Story