By Eugene Davis
The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Hon. John Jinapor, has announced that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) plans to install 3 million additional meters between 2025 and 2029 to curb power theft, enhance billing accuracy, and improve revenue collection.
The initiative includes a 2-million-meter deployment with an additional 1 million meters being rolled out in collaboration with the World Bank.
Smart meter deployment and revenue reforms
Appearing before Parliament to respond to questions on illegal electricity connections and revenue recovery, the Minister disclosed that:
ECG has already installed about 1.2 million smart meter management systems as of April 2025.
An ongoing loss reduction programme includes: Replacing obsolete and faulty meters,Installing new service connections and rerouting concealed service lines.
Implementing smart meter technologies for real-time billing
1 million smart meters have already been deployed under the reform programme.
“These smart meters provide instant data to help reduce losses and improve accuracy in billing,” the Minister noted.
Improved Monitoring and Institutional Reforms
Mr. Jinapor emphasized that:
ECG has been given new Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Cabinet has directed that all state institutions must switch to prepaid meters or establish monthly billing and payment agreements with ECG.
Only four categories—Presidency, Police, Military, Education and Health institutions—are exempt from prepaid metering but are still required to pay for power consumption.
Addressing Power Theft and Meter Fraud
The Minister acknowledged widespread illegal meter installation and power theft. To address this, he said:
ECG has constituted special task forces to identify and prosecute offenders.
Several estates have recently been busted, with cases now before the courts.
A new Legislative Instrument (L.I.) is being drafted to introduce stiffer penalties for individuals caught selling or illegally installing ECG meters.
“We are working with Parliament to pass laws that make penalties severe enough to serve as a deterrent,” he stated.
Revenue Performance and Outlook
ECG has so far raised ₵1.6 billion in revenue this year, though the target was ₵2.5 billion.
However, Mr. Jinapor highlighted a year-on-year improvement compared to the same period in 2024.
“We are confident that these reforms will significantly improve revenue collection, reduce losses, and bring greater efficiency to Ghana’s electricity sector,” he concluded.
