A holistic review of ECG’s billing system is needed urgently – Power Systems Economist

 A Power Systems Economist, Dr.

Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor, has called on the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission ( PURC) to mandate that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) halts the practice of billing innocent consumers on a subjective basis.Dr Apetorgbor says the action of the ECG to bill innocent people violates the principles of transparency and accountability that PURC is duty-bound to uphold.He also suggested that a holistic review of ECG's billing and customer engagement protocols is needed to ensure that consumers are treated equitably and that revenue recovery mechanisms are standardised and transparent.In a statement raising concerns about the new ECG meters, he indicated that "While the government has frequently blamed the Independent Power Generators (IPGs) for exacerbating the financial strain on ECG, the reality is that ECG's challenges are, to a large extent, a result of government-induced inefficiencies."The lack of coordination, planning, and accountability in the deployment of SHEP meters falls squarely on the government.

By sidestepping its own failures and placing the blame on IPPs, the government creates a damaging narrative that diverts attention from the root cause of ECG's challenges and unfairly demonizes the very stakeholders that are essential to Ghana's electricity supply chain."Below is his full statement…In an ambitious push to achieve universal electricity coverage, the Government of Ghana introduced the Self-Help Electrification Program (SHEP) meters, deploying millions across the country.This move, though laudable in its intent to extend electricity to underserved communities, has proven to be poorly coordinated and detrimental to the finances of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

The lack of strategic planning, oversight, and follow-up in capturing these meters into ECG's billing database has inadvertently led to widespread revenue losses, unchecked electricity consumption, and exacerbated inefficiencies across the electricity distribution system.SHEP was designed with the noble objective of bridging the electricity access gap by installing meters in remote areas.