Power Systems Specialist Dr. Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor, is calling for the deployment of intelligent prepaid meters to address the inefficiencies in the revenue collection of the Electricity Company of Ghana.

According to him, this will ensure that consumers pay before using the electricity—just as mobile phone users purchase airtime before accessing telecom services.

In a paper on “Critical Analysis of the Proposal to Privatize ECG’s Billing and Collection Services,” he said privatizing the billing and collection segment of ECG aimed at addressing inefficiencies in revenue collection would not address ECG’s fundamental challenges.

He said the core problems affecting ECG’s revenue collection include technical and commercial losses, largely due to power theft, illegal connections, and meter tampering. Billing inefficiencies, where estimated bills lead to disputes and non-payment.

Similarly, there is collection bottlenecks, as ECG struggles to enforce payments, particularly from high-profile consumers, including government institutions, stating that “Privatizing billing and collection does not directly address these underlying issues. If enforcement mechanisms remain weak, a private firm will face the same challenges as ECG”.

"For the last 8 years, I have seen the government managing crises with half measures or solutions rather than future and technology-driven solutions to fix the energy sector sustainably", he said.

He argued that rather than privatizing billing and collection, ECG should prioritise mass deployment of intelligent prepaid meters to ensure 100% revenue collection upfront, eliminate billing inefficiencies and disputes, reduce operational costs and corruption risks, and improve customer satisfaction and energy accountability.

Why Intelligent Prepaid Meters Are the Best Solution

With prepaid meters, he said customers pay before consuming electricity, eliminating bad debts and revenue losses.

This system, he said, mirrors how mobile phone users purchase airtime before making calls—ensuring telecom companies do not chase customers for payments.

Again, he mentioned that cost savings & operational efficiency eliminate the need for meter readers and revenue collectors, reducing payroll and administrative costs.

According to him, it prevents billing errors and disputes by ensuring accurate, real-time consumption tracking.

He also cited enhanced customer experience & transparency, saying prepaid meters empower customers to monitor their electricity usage in real-time, avoiding billings surprises and allowing better budgeting. This increases consumer satisfaction while reducing disputes with ECG. financial