ECG rolls out new franchising initiative

November 6, 2026

2 minutes read

Management of ECG, stakeholders with the chiefs at the launch

THE Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has launched a franchising initiative to strengthen revenue mobilisation, improve customer service and enhance accountability in its field operations.

The initiative, launched in Koforidua on Thursday under the theme, “Safeguarding Revenue, Powering Ghana,” seeks to transform traditional meter reading into a broader, technology-driven service that brings the company closer to customers.

The Managing Director of ECG, Mr Julius Kwame Kpekpena, said the initiative represented a fundamental change in how the company managed its relationship with customers, rather than merely a new approach to reading electricity meters.

“Today, we are launching much more than a new way of reading meters. We are changing the way ECG manages its relationship with customers in the field,” he said.

He explained that franchise contractors would undertake additional responsibilities, including delivering bills, monitoring prepaid meters, identifying faulty meters and illegal connections, supporting authorised disconnections and reconnections, and validating customer information.

He said the previous arrangement required separate teams to handle different customer-related issues, often resulting in delays, inconvenience and additional operational costs.

Under the new system, contractors would be remunerated according to verified work performed, creating a direct link between productivity and earnings while enabling ECG to monitor their activities more effectively.

Mr Kpekpena said technology was central to the initiative, with the ZEUS Commercial Management System and handheld devices enabling field activities to be electronically recorded and verified.

The system would also require photographic evidence of meter readings and reported irregularities to improve transparency and accountability.

The Acting Deputy Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission, Ing. Julius Abayateye, speaking on behalf of the Minister of Energy and Green Transition, said effective revenue protection was essential to the financial sustainability of the electricity supply industry.

He disclosed that more than 1,500 franchise contractors had been deployed across 92 ECG districts, with the pilot programme recording a 21.3 per cent improvement in meter-reading performance.

The Deputy Commercial Manager of ECG, Mr Ebenezer Baiden, said the initiative would address limitations in prepaid metering and improve postpaid billing and customer debt management.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Ms Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, called on franchise contractors to discharge their duties professionally and treat customers with respect.

She urged ECG management to supervise the initiative effectively and respond promptly to customer concerns, warning that delays in addressing complaints could expose unsuspecting customers to fraudsters posing as company officials.

She also encouraged customers to pay their bills promptly, report illegal connections, verify the identities of field officers and use only approved payment channels.

She said protecting ECG’s revenue was a shared responsibility necessary for maintaining infrastructure, improving service delivery and ensuring reliable electricity supply.

FROM AMA TEKYIWAA AMPADU AGYEMAN, KOFORIDUA

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