My Rollercoaster Journey with ECG: From Lost Cards to Smart Meters and Finally, Power!
Hey everyone, it's me again, the #MightyAfrican, blogging from Accra. If you've ever dealt with ECG #inGhana, you would know they routinely underperform. In fact, I cannot count more worse companies in Ghana on one finger. I am sorry, but it is true. At the National Economic Dialogues in 2025 for which the President’s Office invited me, ECG was brainstormed and discussed as a company to draw solutions for, from the great men and women the Ghana government had assembled to avenge GH's major problems. I have navigated a full-blown saga with ECG over a number of days. Buckle up as I break it down step by step. Who knows, this might help you in a similar scenario!
This story all began on December 19, 2025 when I realized I couldn't find my old ECG prepaid meter card. No card meant no way to top up credit, and with power already running on empty. Earlier that day, I had gone to the Channel1TV studios to be interviewed on the #BreakfastDaily. Chris Kata interviewed me and Kwame of Petra on Barcamp Accra 2025. I went to the Kosmos Innovation Center office to get some work and enjoy our EOY party. I left around the time #SportsPanorama was on Citi 97.3FM. As I was approaching Amanfro, I looked for my ECG card so I could stop by an ECG vendor to buy electricity. Lo and belost! Nowhere to be found. I was staring down the barrel of dark evenings in my Amanfro home.
The day before, I had taken the card to buy power since the meter had given me the warning signs. I would have bought the power around Ashieye on my way but I had to skip that so I would not be late for an interview at Citi 97.3 FM. 1 of the greatest Ghanaians of his generation, Bernard Avle, was as part of the #CitiCBS interviewing me and Desmond Appiah (Country Head for Clean Air Fund) on Barcamp Accra 2025. I had left the ECG card somewhere I could reach or find to purchase power later. That evening, I got to the neck of my woods late, past the times ECG vendors in my area would be open.
That fateful Friday, I got home late at night and searched everywhere. I emptied my RPC bag multiple times and combed the #Vimride severally. I searched the kitchen, the room I mostly use, the living room, and the card was unfoundable. Is there a magnetic card finder? I might need to buy one. I called a friend who works at Channel1TV to ask if anyone found an ECG card. I called the KIC security folks to search as well. They did not find anything on the grass, in the building, etc. I called my GhanaThink colleague - Benedict - who worked at Brassica Pay. They have an ECG topup technology with a card reader, app, etc. I prayed. I sent him my meter ID and information, but ultimately, without the card, I would not be able to buy power o. Na wa o!
Saturday morning came and we had Barcamp Accra 2025 that starts at 9am. I drove to Accra Technical University hoping for a miracle because #PositivityRules. The Channel1TV studios search result returned with no goal. Interestingly at the Barcamp, 1 of the participants came up to me to say hi, and I found out he was a National Service Personnel at ECG. And he worked at a newer office in Amrahia which is close to my house. That was excellent news. Because every time I had ECG issues that needed proper customer care, I was told to go to the office in Dodowa which is not near. And I might have pay bribes to get things done. Unfortunately, nothing could be done on Saturday or Sunday, so unless I found my card, dum dum dum.
When I returned to Ghana on Friday, January 30, 2026, I went to the KIC office, got some work done, had some meetings and headed for the ECG office in Amrahia in my Ghana Flag #WearGhana Gigi. I stopped at home to drop off my luggage first. I went to the office and met this NSS friend, armed with whatever details I could scrape together: Meter ID, Account Number, GhanaPostGPS address, etc. I pleaded for a new card or, better yet, an upgrade to a smart meter. This was the umpteenth time I had asked for a new smart meter which I could update and buy credit for in the comfort of an app, but every time I heard the smart meters are not in the system. I had been told I would need to pay bribes to get them those times at the Dodowa office. I expected to make some payments to solve this problem. This is a public sector company in Ghana. If you are not lucky, you would spend countless minutes in a queue before you are even attended to.
I explained everything to this friend, who collected my details and went to see his bosses. After some time, he came back with Good News Chapter 23, verse 23, “You would be getting a new ECG smart meter, you have been added to the list”. What’s the bad news? “We cannot tell when you would get it”. Turns out, my meter is E-Cash 3 and it is no longer in the system. I knew that already. Why do I have this kind of meter? That is a blog post for another day. No luck on the spot, but they were going to set me up for a temporary supply to keep the lights on while waiting for the replacement. Sounds good eh? Well, I was asked to provide all the things in the house that use electricity. I could see the end of the tunnel with this one. I made Bright understand that I do not use most of these things. I gave him all the information for him to use and revert with an expected amount of money or bill for the temporary supply. I recounted what I could remember and shared. He came back with a bill upwards of ¢2330. SÉ”sket! There is no way I am paying this amount. Bright called an ECG contractor to get ready to give me the temporary supply. I spoke to this Moses guy but he did not give any assurances as he was on the field. It was almost 4pm at this time. We went to see his boss who explained how this temporary supply worked. I made it clear that I don’t even spend more than ¢400 per month for power. The man in Room 213 was not happy with me because I was showcasing what unhappy customers show. I left the ECG office after 5pm (more than 4 hours spent there) praying that Moses would come and do the do.
I had promised to pay for the motorbike fare that would bring Moses to come help me. Around 7pm, he called me to tell me to expect him. I gave him directions and he showed up. Based on what Bright’s boss had told me, I thought he was coming to ascertain the various things in the house which use electricity to report to his superiors. He heard the annoying clicking sound because I turned on the meter. I had just ¢1.6 left. He proceeded to work on the meter and after some time, I had power. Hallelujah! Temporary supply o. Wait o! How much would my bill be? Here was the caveat: “I'd get billed later based on usage, and auditors might swing by to check my appliances”. He went through his list and I answered with the number of bulbs, ACs, laptops, fans, etc, that we had.
I paid the motorbike fare and gave Moses a small tip, while dropping him off somewhere in Fafraha. In fact, the way Moses did the thing, I was surprised. Could others do this in their homes for illegal connections? Your guess is as good as mine. I informed Bright and multiple ECG friends I had befriended through the years, including my Presec mate who works for them in Kumasi. Bright informed me that I needed to be at the ECG office that next Monday.
What happened on that Monday? Well, I waited a whole weekend to continue this. You don’t have to wait that long to find out. Come back later for Part tuuuuuuuu. I hope you enjoyed Part waaaaaaaaan.
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