The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) says it has put adequate measures in place to implement the extension of the COVID-19 electricity relief for the citizenry as announced by the President, Nana Akufo-Addo.

It said it is committed to ensuring the free distribution of electricity for the months of January, February and March 2021.

Although the water and electricity relief packages for Ghanaians ended in December 2020, the government extended the free supply of the said utilities for the vulnerable to reduce the impact of the pandemic on their lives.

In a statement, the company said lifeline customers on both prepaid and postpaid metering systems will continue to benefit from the relief packages.

Per the outline as announced by the electricity officials, customers on smart prepaid meters will be automatically credited with their free lifeline units for the three months.

Users of electricity on non-smart prepaid meters will have to swipe or insert their cards in their meters before they visit the vending points to recharge in order to receive their free units for each month.

Lifeline consumers who use the postpaid means will have their bills for January, February and March 2021 indicating the government’s absorption of their consumption.

“Management wishes to assure lifeline customers and stakeholders that it resolved to implement this directive to the letter. Customers are advised to contact ECG District offices with any challenge for a resolution”, the statement added.

Extension
The free provision of electricity and water was extended by three more months for lifeline customers only as the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his 21st COVID-19 update to the nation on Sunday, January 3, 2021, President Akufo-Addo announced that lifeline electricity consumers and households whose water usage do not exceed five cubic metres per month will not pay for the utilities in January, February and March 2021.

“You will recall that, in our quest to help shield you from the effects of the virus, Government took the decision to provide relief to Ghanaians, which included the absorption of electricity and water bills. This relief package ended in December. However, with the continuing difficulties occasioned by the pandemic, I want to state that Government intends to continue to support the most vulnerable in our society. Government will, thus, continue to pay the electricity bills for our nation’s one million active lifeline customers for the next three months, i.e. January, February and March”, he said.