By Jones Anlimah
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is set to introduce a new prepayment metering system in the Volta Region, beginning with a pilot phase in Ho, the regional capital, in 2025. This initiative aims to address the challenges posed by malfunctioning prepaid meters currently in use.
Speaking on the upcoming rollout after the Christmas festivities, the Volta and Oti Regional General Manager of ECG, Mrs. Christina Jato-Kaleo, explained that the pilot phase will involve trying the BRASSICA PAY system on about 200 prepaid meters to test the system before full rollout.
“When we return from the Christmas break, we will pilot about 200 meters. Before we do this, we do a piloting—we don’t just start,” she said. “The piloting will help us to see some of the challenges that we are likely to encounter, and we use that opportunity to address them before we roll out.”
Mrs. Jato-Kaleo emphasised that the new system will replace the old prepaid meters, many of which are malfunctioning. “We will be starting a new prepayment system, which means we will replace all the existing old prepaid systems. Most of them are not functioning well,” she noted, adding that the rollout will start in Ho with other districts coming onboard depending on the success rate of the piloting process.
“We will start with Ho for now and later Hohoe and then bring other districts on board,” she said. However, she highlighted that the expansion to other areas will depend on the strength of internet connectivity in the communities. “If connectivity is not good and we go prepayment, it also becomes a challenge. You go, you download, it’s not going, it’s failing, and you have to come back,” she explained.
“So our men are talking with the telcos to see how they can also improve their services to support us,” she added.
The pilot phase and the subsequent rollout represent ECG’s commitment to ensuring efficient service delivery and addressing the challenges faced by its customers. By prioritising the resolution of potential connectivity issues, ECG aims to create a smooth transition to the BRASSICA prepayment system across the Volta Region.
The new system is expected to enhance the reliability of electricity supply and improve customer satisfaction in Ho and Hohoe, which are the only two districts currently with prepaid meter systems in the region.
