By Ruth Abla Adjorlolo
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) recently embarked on the distribution of new meters to replace the existing ones that have been in the system. The new meters are considered to be more effective in the ECG’s mandate of selling power to Ghanaians.
With this new move, comes a rise in the cost of buying credit by those using them. Some frustrated citizens have spoken out against the new meters, expressing disbelief that the government expects low-earning Ghanaians and pensioners to afford them. The meters, which allegedly consumes credit bought and runs out quickly even after top-ups, would require the public to spend a hundred Ghana Cedis or more every three days, depending on one’s consumption level and many, especially pensioners cannot afford and bear the brunt of its usage.
Some are afraid they might end up living in darkness for days, due to their inability to regularly buy credits at the current rate the meters are running. With this development, one wonders if some provisions have been made for sections of the public, who are low-income-earners and struggling to make ends meet. Some citizens are outraged and this highlights the concerns of many who feel the government’s policies are out of touch with the reality of the ordinary people.
The high cost of living, coupled with the inefficiency of the meters and the high demand for credits to be able to use them for some period of time, have all sparked widespread frustration and anger. Indeed, the process leading to the acquisition of the meter is also not an easy task in the first place, along with the cost involved.
Depending on one’s salary before retirement, some pensioners receive less than one thousand, two hundred Ghana Cedis a month, less than the cost of a meter to be purchased presently in Ghana.
People living in some communities in Accra and other regional capitals, as well as rural areas, should have been given special considerations prior to the rolling out of these new meters. As it is in some jurisdictions, pensioners and other socially disadvantaged ones, like Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) or impairments, are put on special schemes to assuage the effects of such government projects and policies.
For instance, special cards or meters could be allocated to pensioners, through their associations, to ensure they pay special tariffs. This arrangement could reduce the pressure on these persons in such a hard economy and with the low stipends they receive at the end of the month as pensioners.
As the debate rages. and the Electricity Company of Ghana and the government think through how best they can work on these new meters to the benefit of all, many are calling for more affordable and sustainable solutions to the country’s energy mix. Infact, one that does not only take into account the struggles of vulnerable populations like pensioners, but also the production of cheaper energy to promote industrialisation, with its attendant job and wealth creation. The resort to pushing costs en masse to the public, without any sensitivity to the plight of the vulnerable, tends to overburden the already deprived members of our society.
There is the need for some special data collection mechanisms, to gather information on such segments of our nation, that should be specifically catered for in such eventualities and during such decision making and implementation.
Neglecting them in such times could lead to a social problem that could affect many, especially those living with disabilities, pensioners and the unemployed, among others.
We should remember that anybody could easily fall into any of these categories at any time. It is therefore our hope, the powers that be, will work on the concerns of the citizens, with regards to the new meters.
A lot of people, particularly pensioners are really suffocating!
