The Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) has intensified efforts to clampdown on illegal electricity connections.

On Thursday, April 23, NEDCo seized more than 300 electricity meters in Tamale during its two-day dawn operation.

NEDCo’s Corporate Communications Manager, Maxwell Kotoka disclosed this while speaking to the media.

“What we have done in just two days, to go at the break of day between 5:30 and 6:30, and so far we have done only two communities. We have found more than 300 who are culpable, who have engaged in bypass, meter power theft,” he said.

The exercise has become necessary as Ghana’s power providers continue to grapple with financial challenges.In 2025, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) launched the “Operation All Must Pay” initiative to facilitate the retrieval of outstanding debts owed by customers across the nation as well as prosecute offenders involved in illegal connection.

The exercise, came to a close on September 30 after its begun on September 9 targeted residential, commercial, industrial and government institutions such as Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

ECG has further advised customers with arrears to pay their bills immediately to avoid disconnection, and payment of reconnection fees.

As part of efforts to enhance revenue mobilisation in the energy sector, as well as stabilizing power, the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition has announced the introduction of standardised and accurate electricity meters from next month.

The Minister disclosed this while answering questions on the floor of Parliament on Monday, March 16. According to him, all households will benefit from upgraded electricity infrastructure.

“Next month, we will start the large-scale rollout of transformers. Within that same month, we should see a much more massive injection of new, standardised and accurate meters. That is how we can make sure that there is guaranteed revenue for investment.All meters procured are tested. I can assure you that these meters are of high quality; they meet the standards, and they do the job they are supposed to do,” he said.

His comments come amid growing concerns from sections of the public, who claim they are being overcharged and that their prepaid credit no longer lasts as long as before.

Meanwhile, the Communications Director of the ECG, William Boateng, has asserted that heat conditions, wiring and earthing are most likely contributing factors to excessive electricity consumption affecting its customers.

This was in response to concerns from sections of the public who have made claims of being overcharged and that their prepaid credit no longer lasts as long as before.

In an interview on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Boateng advised customers to frequently check for possible electrical faults in their homes.

“When the heat increases, someone can even double the use of cooling appliances. That alone can affect your consumption. Sometimes the issue may be with wiring or earthing. That is why we have certified electrical contractors who can check whether there is leakage or any fault affecting consumption,” he said.”

Mr. Boateng urged customers who notice irregularities in their billing to report them directly to ECG for investigation, so that engineers can inspect the meter, review consumption patterns, and identify the cause of the problem.

“We work with machines; it is not about defending anything. There could be a margin of error. If your bill exceeds what you expected or your credit finishes unusually fast, report it to ECG,” he urged, adding that, "When customers report, we can properly investigate, analyse the situation, and resolve it if there is a genuine problem," he assured.

Last year, the Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Professor Alex Dodoo, warned of the dangers associated with uncalibrated electricity meters which were in use nationwide.

These uncalibrated metres being utilised by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), he said, did not guarantee the protection of consumers and also are not able to hold industry accountable for fair charges.

Calibration of meters ensures that energy usage is measured accurately, preventing overbilling or underbilling for consumers.

His comments came amid growing public concerns of overbilling, inconsistent power supply, and inefficiencies in the power-producing company’s services.

Speaking at a stakeholder conference organized by the International Electrotechnical Commission yesterday, May 20, 2025 in Accra, Prof. Dodoo revealed that many ECG meters in circulation had not been calibrated or verified by the Ghana Standards Authority, as has been mandated by the National Instrumentation Regulation NI2413.

“Very few of our meters have been calibrated and verified by the GSA. If the meter you are using has not been calibrated or verified by the Ghana Standards Authority, as required by NI2413, its accuracy is questionable. We simply cannot vouch for it,” he said.

Prof. Dodoo said meters not being calibrated put consumers at risk of under- and overbilling.

The NI2413 law mandates that all electricity meters in circulation must be calibrated and verified by the GSA to ensure accuracy, fair billing, and energy efficiency.

Additionally, the Weights and Measures Decree, NRCD 326 of 1975, empowers the GSA to oversee legal metrology, ensuring that measuring instruments used in trade and industry meet standardized accuracy requirements.

However, to resolve this, he mentioned that his outfit is currently working with the ECG and Public Utility and Regulatory Commission (PURC) to configure the millions of meters currently in circulation in the country.

“The law states it must be verified and calibrated. Thankfully, we are working with ECG and PURC to ensure that all the millions of meters in Ghana are properly calibrated and verified by the GSA,” he noted.

He also linked the issue to national development, emphasizing its importance in the government's ambition to implement a 24-hour economy.

“And I know it's a very troubling issue. But as we support the President in rolling out a 24-hour economy, it's important that we provide the quality infrastructure that will make the 24-hour economy succeed,” he concluded.

In the same year, the government, through the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, approved the procurement of 200 new transformers for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to strengthen power transmission and distribution to major cities across the country.

The sector minister, John Abdulai Jinapor, made information public on May 28, 2025 during the opening session of the 18th West Africa Mining and Power Exhibition (WAMPEX) at the Grand Arena and Accra International Convention Centre (AICC) in Accra.

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) made a formal request for 200 new transformers in April 2025, and after barely a month, the government gave the green light for the deployment of the transformers.

“Despite the challenges we inherited, recent reports show that power generation has been very stable” What we need to do is improve the transmission and distribution network. In this regard, I have granted approval to ECG as a matter of urgency to inject about 200 transformers in our major capital cities in order to ensure that we not only generate power but we can distribute power to (sic) consumers effectively and efficiently,” Mr Jinapor said.

Minister Jinapor noted that initial challenges with power generation have been stabilized, and Ghana is now exporting electricity to neighboring countries. The current focus is on improving power transmission and distribution systems.