ECG Commends Stevens Hotel & Others for Prompt Payment Of Bills

The Volta regional branch of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has commended management of Stevens Hotel in Ho and other companies in the region for exhibiting a sense of patriotism in the prompt payment of their bills.

The ECG General Manager in the region, Ms Christina Jatoe-Kaleo who gave the commendation also named institutions like GCB Bank and Skyplus Hotel in the capital Ho, Bank of Ghana in Hohoe and Regency Salt located in the Denu District for the prompt payment of their electricity bills and urged all customers to emulate the patriotic examples of these companies by paying for power they consume religiously.

She revealed that some companies who are not paying for the power consumed have been disconnected from the national grid as part of the ongoing operation zero exercise by the company.

“The Zoomlion recycling plant at Dambai and the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) in Dambai have been disconnected for owing 12,514 GH Cedis and 9, 981 Gh Cedis respectively” she stated.

The ECG General Manager emphasized that the company does not take delight in disconnecting customers since it buys and sells power and the more customers consume power, the more it get revenue stating that disconnection which is always the last resort is carried out to ensure that customer does not incur more debts.

Ms Christina Jatoe-Kaleo urged customers in the region to download the ECG PowerApp to pay all their outstanding bills to enable the company provide stable power supply and sustain the electricity supply chain.

This initiative according to the company is to enable it mobilize revenue through the ongoing mass revenue mobilization exercise dubbed Operation Zero.

The Operation Zero exercise which commenced on 11th July is expected to last for two months and ensure anybody consuming electricity settle all arrears.

All smart prepaid meters in the Volta Region can also view their consumption history.

Ms Jatoe- Kaleo stated categorically that the company is not accepting cash at all offices and no staff is expected to accept cash on the field as part of this operation zero exercise.

“Our staff are not accepting cash, so we humbly appeal to all customers to visit Google Play Store or App Store and download or update the ECG PowerApp to view and pay their bills before our revenue officers visit their premises. Customers can also pay and view their bills through the shortcode *226#”, she said.

She also indicated that the operation zero exercise which is ongoing in all 11 Districts of ECG in Volta and Oti Regions is different from the previous ones as it seeks to target both customers in the ECG system and customers consuming power but not in the system of ECG.

“As part of this exercise, we are also looking at customers who are consuming power but not in the system of ECG. For example, when we get to your house and realize your meter is not in our system or you are consuming power through illegal means, we will capture your details, regularize your supply and give you a flat rate.”

According to Ms. Jatoe- Kaleo, the Li 2413 allows the company to surcharge customers with twelve months bill in such circumstances, but the company has given a moratorium to its customers as part of the operation zero exercise, so all customers using power without paying, customers with direct connection, faulty meters or meters obtained through illegal sources like “Foreign meters” should take advantage of this moratorium and visit the ECG Office for their electricity supply to be regularized in the system.

She added that the company is not embarking on a mass disconnection but on a revenue mobilization exercise so when its officials visit customers, they will show them the data of their debt situation and engage them to make payment but if positive feedback is not received, then disconnection is carried out to ensure the customer doesn’t increase the debt.

Ms. Jatoe- Kaleo also revealed that the company has apprehended some illegal connections as part of the operation zero with Ho Parks and Gardens among the culprits. “As we speak, we have discovered some illegal connections, and we are taking them through the process to regularize and bill their supply”, she said.