The Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Samuel Masubir Mahama, is admonishing users of post-paid meters to visit their offices across the country to pay their debt without waiting on the company to issue bills on power consumed.
Speaking on Eyewitness News with Umaru Sanda Amadu, Mr. Mahama said, “Why would you owe so much money, you owe that kind of money and don’t want to pay on account?”
“In the case of residential customers, they say you haven’t sent us bills in a very long time. But you have received a bill before, so it’s in your interest to keep paying what you see on your last bill until your meter is read, and the reconciliation is done, then you can start shifting to your new bill amount. But most people just sit down and they don’t pay anything. It’s also not fair to the pre-paid customer”.
He further urged post-paid meter users to average their own rate by falling on previous bills to pay for the power they consume.
“Pay through the meter account associated with your name. You were using the power already so pay even if you don’t see bills. Are you saying without the meter being read we shouldn’t bill you and allow you to use it for free? We are saying you can average your own bill, you are in your own home, and you know how much you consume in a week or a month. Be a responsible citizen and pay on account, after proper reconciliation what is due you will be given to you,” the ECG MD reiterated.
He emphasised, “but to say that you are not going to pay anything at all, and then you will enjoy the service, you are not being fair to a pre-paid customer who has to pre-pay what he/she is going to consume”.
As part of its national revenue mobilization, the National Taskforce of the ECG since Monday, March 20, has been disconnecting power to some companies including Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), KFC, Ho Airport.
Parliament, Fabrimetal Company, the largest steel manufacturing company in West Africa, B5 Plus Company Limited in Tema and others which owe the ECG have settled some of their debts to avoid being discounted.
The company disconnected KFC for owing GH¢68,000, Ho Airport for owing GH¢63,000, GRA Office for owing GH¢55,000, CEPS training academy for owing GH¢80,000 and Ho Technical University for owing GH¢402,000.
However, Ho technical university paid GH¢200,000 after crunch talks with the ECG and has been told to settle the arrears by end of March 2023.
