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There have been reports in parts of Accra that prepaid users are having their credit turn into a bill for them.
This comes after the Institute of Energy Security (IES) called on the ECG to resolve all issues relating to their prepaid meters.
A statement signed by the Managing Director of ECG, Kwame Agyeman-Budu, on Tuesday, December 22, 2020, detailed how the prepaid system works.
"Currently, a team of technical staff has been deployed to upgrade the communication network between the prepaid meters and the server, and this has resulted in the increasing debts of customers whose meters have been operating on credit mode, and as such, have not made any commensurate purchases of electricity used over the months," it said.
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Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG)
"ECG currently operates internationally approved standard prepayment metering systems for over 2 million customers using the approved PURC tariff. There is no feature in the pre-payment systems that converts electricity credit to debt, nor is there a facility where the more a customer buys electricity, the customer will owe ECG.
"Generally, with ECG pre-paid meters, money is deposited into a meter account and dispensed with an approved tariff till it is finished, then the meter disconnects electricity supply till another deposit is made. In some minimal cases, the meter breaker stays connected and the meter continues to record the customer's consumption on a zero balance, and this can lead to debt," the statement added.
It continued: "For some smart meters deployed in 2014 in parts of Accra, the money is deposited into the customer’s account on a centralised server and gets dispensed only when the meter is remotely connected to the server."
The statement added: "Delayed routine reconciliation due to failed remote communication between meters and the server automatically switches the meters into credit mode and allows the customers to consume electricity beyond their remaining credit.
"This usually results in a negative balance when communication is restored between the server and the meters.
"In most cases, debt after the reconciliation of the customer's initial deposit and the actual electricity consumed is scheduled for payment on flexible terms for the customer."