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Smart meter Africa: Ghana deploys AMR system to curb revenue losses. 16.04.2014 Views:1438 |
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Posted by: Kim Jansen, www.metering.com April 16, 2014 Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has confirmed that it is introducing an automated meter reading (AMR) system to parts of the west African country in a bid to tackle meter tampering and revenue losses. Sariel A. Etwire, section manager of metering services of ECG, said this week that the state-owned utility is deploying three pilot systems in the Tema and Accra East regions for customers using more than 5000kWh per month. ECG has contracted South Korea's Nuri Telecom to deliver its prepaid metering system using GPRS and Zigbee Alliance communication standards, and has already replaced more than 350,000 electromechanical meters with smart units. According to the ECG, the new meters will also help reduce revenue losses from electricity theft. In an interview with a local news organisation, managing director of ECG William Hutton-Mensah said: "We have challenges with some of our customers tampering with our meters or bypassing the meters in order not for the meters to record their actual consumption and because of that we are losing revenue. "What we want to do now is to increase automated meter reading, where from our offices we can monitor how the meters are functioning in the field. He added: "With that if there's any tampering, we can detect from our office and deal with it." ECG will be speaking on using metering infrastructure as income and revenue protection tool at African Utility Week on 14-16 May in Cape Town, South Africa. |
