Meters are devices installed in the Customer’s premises to measure and record the amount of electricity supplied over a period of time.
As of now there are the two (2) kinds of meters installed in customers’ premises: the post-paid and pre–paid meters
PDS Meters are and remain the bonafide property of the Company.
PDS Meters are strictly NOT FOR SALE.
In acquiring a service, the Customer pays an installation and maintenance fee and NOT the price of the Meter. Please insist on an official receipt for any payment made.
A Meter is issued for use in a specific location and is NEVER transferable to another point. Even a shift of the Meter’s position within the same premises must be approved and carried out by PDS.
Only Authorized representatives of the Company may conduct, relocate, remove or disconnect a Meter on the premises of a Customer.
Tampering with an PDS Meter is ILLEGAL, subject to arrest and prosecution.
Can a meter be transferred from one place to the other?
No.
A meter is issued for use in a specific location and should NEVER be transferred to another point. All our meters are geo-referenced for easy identification of customers and database collection. So movement from one place to other can result in data loss.
It also leaves room for illegalities.
Can any electrician reconnect your meter after a customer has gone to pay for the reconnection fee after disconnection?
No. This is the responsibility of PDS staff and we need to seal the meters and update our account on the status of the service. Failure to do that will implicate you for illegal connection during our next routine visit.
Do I always have to buy prepaid credit on the first day of the month?
No. You can buy anytime in the month. The meter receives the money as a deposit for future use.
Do I get more units or credit when I buy from ECG offices than buying from other private vending points?
No. Always check your receipt to confirm amount paid.
Do prepaid meters run faster than credit meters?
Prepaid meters do not run faster than credit meters. All meters measure the same amount of electricity in a specified time.
Does ECG re-calibrate its meters after installation?
Yes, but this is guided by a policy. For non-industrial meters, sampling is done every 5yrs. Based on sample size report, we either do full calibration of such meters or do another sampling in the next 5yrs. We have a policy to undertake meter testing for all reported suspected faulty meters.
How long would it take a customer to acquire a meter?
Meters go with a service. After service application has been reviewed and approved, and payment made by customer, it takes generally a week to get service.
If a pole has to be erected, it takes longer because this involves engineering studies.
How many Meters are installed in ECG’s network?
Currently, ECG has about Three Million, Two Hundred and Seventy-One Thousand customer meters as at the first quarter of 2016. There are other meters installed for our operations.eg Bulk Supply Point(BSP) metering.
If I have a credit meter, can I request it to be changed to a prepayment meter?
Yes, if the deployment is in your area.
Is it legal for ECG to change my meter from credit meter to prepayment meter?
Yes. The replacement is based on company policy and the meter is the property of the company.
Is it possible as a prepaid customer to revert back to post paid?
No. The replacement is a policy and this leads to changes in our operations, e.g.. Meter reading in the prepaid areas is curtailed.
My credit meter was replaced to the new prepayment meter and there has been a huge jump in my electricity cost. The new meter runs faster than the old one. Why is this so?
Prepayment and credit meters have the same accuracy level. The credit meter could be faulty or customer usage of electricity has gone up since the curtailment of the load shedding exercise.
What are the stages ECG meters go through before they get to a customer’s premises?
a. Type test of all meter b. Pattern approval test from Ghana Standards Authority c. Factory acceptance test at the Manufacturer’s before they are shipped d. Meter acceptance test in ECG meter lab e. Meters are issued from the Head Office to region and then to district. f. And then assigned to third party contractors for installation
What happens if a meter is tampered with?
It affects the accuracy of the meter. Meter tempering is an offense with a punitive action. Meter will be replaced at the cost of the customer and then a penalty charge for energy lost will also be recovered before the service is regularized.
