The Ashanti Regional Office of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has warned consumers across the region against relocating electricity and water meters without authorisation, describing the practice as both illegal and a safety hazard.
The warning, issued on Monday, March 30, 2026, by PURC Ashanti Regional Manager Edward Boduah, was prompted by a wave of public inquiries from consumers asking whether they could take their meters along when moving to a new residence.
Boduah was unequivocal in his response. “Meters are installed for designated locations and are not transferable,” he said, adding that even repositioning a meter within the same property requires prior approval and must be carried out by the relevant service provider.
The directive covers both electricity meters managed by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and water meters under the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL). Only authorised personnel from these institutions are permitted to handle, relocate, or interfere with utility meters.
Boduah warned that unauthorised tampering poses serious physical risks, including electrical hazards and water system contamination, and can disrupt billing systems, produce inaccurate consumption records, and create operational problems for utility providers. Offenders face penalties ranging from fines to prosecution.
Residents planning to move into new premises were advised to apply for fresh service connections through official channels rather than attempting to carry meters to new locations. The Commission also called on utility companies to speed up new connection requests, saying delays were driving some consumers to take matters into their own hands.
“The right approach is always to contact your service provider,” PURC said. “We are committed to ensuring that consumers receive safe, reliable, and lawful access to utility services.”
