Ghana

Getting Electricity in

Ghana

Listed below are the procedures, time and cost required for a business to obtain an electricity connection for a newly constructed building.

The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.

  • Name of Utility: Electricity Company of Ghana
  • City: Accra

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No. Procedure Time to Complete Associated Costs
1 Hire registered electrical contractor

Only electrical contractors registered with utility can conduct business with the utility. This registered electrical contractor will also be able to provide a signed installation inspection and testing certificate.

Agency: Electricity Company of Ghana 		2 calendar days GHS 400.0
2 Submit application to Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and await estimate

Documents to be submitted: Application letter or ECG application Form (for LV Service) building permit, load details and installation inspection & testing results.Normally, site inspection is scheduled for a date within two weeks of application submission. Registration of electrcians with utility - All electricians have to be certified and registered by the ECG. A register of certified electricians is available for inspection by customers at any ECG regional office; it is also available at some of the district centres.
Registration process for electrician with utility: Procedure is as follows; exam, interview, practical demonstration (3 sites) Time - 6 to 12 months. The registered electrician has to provide a signed Installation inspection and testing certificate which need to be attached to application form.

Agency: Electricity Company of Ghana 		14 calendar days GHS 5.0
3 Receive site inspection from ECG and await estimate

Estimator visits the site to verify load requirements, and prepares estimate.

Agency: Electricity Company of Ghana 		10 calendar days no charge
4 ECG conducts external connection works, meter installation, and electricity by the utility

Payment has to be made as a demand draft/cheque at bank on utility premises. The costs taken are for Pole Mounted Transformer (PMT).The wait time for the utility to commence external connection works is usually one week. The rest is the actual time taken to conduct external connection works, which includes Pole planting, dressing & stringing and/or substation construction.There is no meter insurance deposit but rather applicant pays meter maintenance fee which is not refundable. The fee is charged along with the monthly bill, and is a built in into the tariff charged. Utility conducts a final check of installation and wirings, and then installs meter and electricity is turned on.

Agency: Electricity Company of Ghana 		53 calendar days GHS 21,649.7
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