ECG enhances PowerApp to address billing challenges

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is taking significant steps to improve customer service by introducing a digital billing system and upgrading its ECG PowerApp to tackle ongoing billing issues.

This initiative aims to optimize the process of collecting electricity consumption data, ensuring that customers are billed accurately for the energy they consume. The new system utilizes advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) technology, which enables real-time data collection and remote monitoring of electricity use. By moving away from traditional manual meter reading, ECG seeks to minimize human error, improve billing precision, and enhance overall service quality.

In recent months, ECG customers have reported various billing challenges, including estimated bills and instances of overcharging. Addressing these concerns, Ing. Emmanuel Osei-Amoako, the Acting General Manager of ECG in the Ashanti West Region, emphasized the company’s commitment to digitizing the billing process to foster customer confidence.

The enhanced ECG PowerApp now features an option for postpaid customers to submit their meter readings directly, ensuring timely and accurate billing. “Postpaid customers can submit their readings at the end of each month, and their bills will be generated accordingly,” Ing. Osei-Amoako explained.

To use the ECG PowerApp, customers can download it from the Google Play Store or App Store, select the service request option, report any issues with their postpaid bill, and upload a picture of their meter reading.

Additionally, the company has launched a comprehensive education campaign to help customers utilize the ECG PowerApp effectively. When ECG officials visit customer premises, they will use Point of Sale (POS) devices to capture and verify meter readings, ensuring instant transmission of data to the billing system. Customers can also request immediate bill printing through these devices.

Ing. Osei-Amoako expressed optimism that these digital initiatives would enhance transparency and empower consumers to manage their electricity usage more actively. “This end-to-end digitized system allows customers to see what’s happening in real time, which builds trust and transparency,” he noted.

The ECG staff have been trained to assist customers in reading their meters, further promoting transparency in their operations. Ing. Osei-Amoako encouraged customers to engage with ECG personnel during visits and to refrain from illegal connections. He urged them to participate in the ongoing revenue mobilization initiative, “Operation Collect All,” to rectify any billing discrepancies and pay their bills conveniently through the ECG PowerApp or via shortcode *226#.

This digitization initiative is part of ECG’s broader transformational agenda aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, improving customer convenience, and significantly reducing system losses.