By Benjamin Akoto
Sunyani, Aug. 28, GNA – The Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) has cautioned the public to be wary of the circulation and sale of fake, substandard and unapproved electricity meters in the country.
The company said it had confiscated more than 200 pieces of sub-standard electricity meters within its operational area, specifically, on the Atronie-Kenyase Highway in the Sunyani Municipality.
A statement issued and signed by Mr Maxwell K Kotoka, the Manager, Corporate Communication, NEDCo and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani said some unscrupulous individuals were selling and distributing the meters.
The statement said the meters were confiscated during a snap inspection, adding police investigations revealed those meters were imported from Togo and Cote D’Ivoire.
It said the meters had not undergone testing and calibration, as required by the Energy Commission and the Ghana Standards Authority and therefore posed significant risks of fire outbreaks, transformer overloading, damage, prolonged outages, and increased distribution losses for NEDCo.
These consequences impacting both on consumers and the company, it added, and warned the importers to desist from the practice, saying it was illegal and a serious offence to import meters without the necessary approvals from the Energy Commission, and other regulatory bodies.
Acquiring meters from other sources than the licensed distribution companies such as the NEDCo and ECG is illegal and warned that NEDCo would not spare, but prosecute individuals and organizations involved in the distribution, sale, purchase, and transportation of unapproved and fake meters.
“A special surprise operation would be rolled out soon to detect and apprehend both the perpetrators and beneficiaries involved in the distribution of fake and substandard meters,” it stated, and cautioned the public to purchase meters from either the ECG or NEDCo so as not be found wanting.
It also called on the public to be on the lookout and provide information about the dealers for the NEDCo to clamp down on them.
Key features on the fake and sub-standard meters include absence of NEDCo brand and name, it added saying electricity metres branded “BHEESHMA,” manufactured by Jarasul Corporation were fake.
The statement, therefore, advised the public who had acquired those meters to report to the nearest NEDCo offices to avoid prosecution.
GNA