Prepaid Meter Credit Depletion Sparks Alarm: Franklin Cudjoe, Consumers Demand Probe as Ministry Orders ECG Investigation
Public policy analyst and IMANI Ghana founder Franklin Cudjoe has added his voice to widespread complaints of unusually rapid depletion of prepaid electricity credits, claiming his GH¢1,500 top-up was completely exhausted in less than 24 hours.
In a widely shared Facebook post dated February 25, Cudjoe narrated his experience: his average daily consumption before February 16 was around GH¢21, but after purchasing GH¢1,500 credit on his birthday, the balance dropped to zero by 9:07 a.m. the following morning.
“I can confirm that meters are stealing our power… At exactly 9:07am this morning all the credits are gone. Zero,” he wrote, directly calling on Energy Minister John Abdulai Jinapor to intervene urgently.
Cudjoe warned that continued frustration could drive consumers toward illegal connections, further complicating efforts to reduce technical and commercial losses in the power sector.
The post comes amid a surge of similar complaints on social media in recent weeks, with many prepaid users alleging meters run down credit far faster than actual usage patterns justify. Common grievances include suspected meter tampering, faulty calibration, software glitches, or over-billing linked to recent tariff structures.
Ministry Orders ECG Probe
Responding swiftly, the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition has directed the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to investigate the complaints and submit a detailed report within seven days.
In a statement posted on X by Ministry spokesperson Richmond Rockson, the government emphasised seriousness: “The Minister of Energy and Green Transition Hon. Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor has taken notice of these complaints and has directed ECG to investigate and provide a report to him within seven days for further action.”
Overpayment Allegations Add Fuel to Debate
The concerns coincide with a recent report by the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CEMSE), which estimated that electricity consumers may have overpaid approximately GH¢1.5 billion in Q4 2025 due to inflated exchange rate and inflation assumptions used by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) in tariff setting.
CEMSE highlighted that PURC applied a projected exchange rate of GH¢11.9735 (adjusted to GH¢12.3715) per US dollar, while the actual average was GH¢10.8733, resulting in an over-recovery of GH¢1.1002 per dollar. When applied to quarterly consumption of 6,459 GWh (with 60% of generation costs dollar-denominated), the group calculated the GH¢1.5 billion figure.
The think tank argued that current conditions (cedi at ~GH¢10.99 and projected Q1 2026 inflation at 3.4%) justify a double-digit tariff reduction—potentially around 11%—to restore fairness and credibility to the quarterly review mechanism.
Broader Context
Prepaid metering was promoted to reduce non-technical losses, improve revenue collection, and give consumers better control over usage. However, recurring complaints about fast credit depletion, estimated billing errors, and perceived over-recovery have eroded trust in the system.
ECG has previously attributed some issues to meter tampering, faulty units, or high-consumption appliances, while urging customers to report anomalies for on-site checks. The company has not yet issued a specific response to the latest wave of complaints or the ministerial directive as of February 25, 2026.
With public pressure mounting and the Ministry now formally involved, the seven-day ECG report is expected to clarify whether the issue stems from technical faults, billing anomalies, tariff miscalculations, or other factors — and outline corrective measures to restore consumer confidence in the prepaid system.
