When the CIU or meter shows tamper, cover, or a warning that is not Used / Old / Invalid / CRC, stop treating it like a failed token. Tamper is the meter accusing the installation of interference: cover opened, seal broken, unusual magnetic field, bypass, or a fault that looks like those. An STS credit — twenty digits from ECG PowerApp, *226#, a vendor, or *714*22# — adds kWh. It does not pardon a seal.
This blog does not process payments. Tokens are sold by ECG channels and licensed checkouts such as ECG PowerApp, *226#, vendors, and Ewale (*714*22# or ewalepay.com). Do not pay a compound “engineer” to reset flags with a secret code. Call ECG 0302 611 611. Buying twice in panic can still leave you disconnected.
How tamper differs from token errors
Invalid — digits do not match this meter. Used — already loaded. Old — sequence. CRC — checksum / NURI generation (Relay, then maybe STS upgrade). Tamper — security event. You can have a valid unused token and a tamper cutoff. Entering the token may be refused until ECG clears the flag. That is not Ewale eating money. It is the meter doing its job.
Photograph the exact word. Facebook groups will tell you to hold Display. Display-until-Relay is a NURI CRC move. It is not a tamper clear.
Common innocent and not-so-innocent causes
Innocent-ish: installer left a cover loose; a child levered the CIU; water in an outdoor box; a knock that opened a sensor. Not innocent: bypass around the meter, welding the relay, magnets, unofficial “boost”. Landlords who ask tenants to “adjust” the box are asking them to eat the flag.
If you never touched the seal, say so clearly to ECG. If someone did, do not invent a token story to cover it. Utility visits exist.
What to do in order
- Stop buying extra credit. 2. Keep any unused twenty-digit SMS. 3. Check remaining units and whether the relay has dropped. 4. Call 0302 611 611 with meter number (~eleven digits on the plate), brand (NURI / CLOU / other), and the message. 5. Do not break the cover further to “reset”. 6. After ECG clears, enter unused tokens in a sensible order, then resume normal vending — preferred everyday *714*22# with name check.
If the house is dark because of tamper, a vendor cannot clear it with a special till. Official *226# cannot either. PowerApp fault reporting might help you log it; it still needs ECG.
Money already spent
Unused STS credits should still exist after a legitimate clear. Used energy is used. Do not assume ECG owes you a refund because you could not cook during a tamper lockout you caused — or even one you did not. Ask; do not vend “replacements” that will sit behind the same flag.
Shared meters: a tamper on the compound box cuts everyone. The person who opened the cover created a public problem. Last-token screens will not identify them.
Prevention
Do not let casual electricians work on sealed ECG equipment. CIU cables can be replaced through proper channels. STS upgrades (NURI / CLOU generation) are ECG processes, often free — not screwdriver processes. Keep the box accessible without force. Teach tenants the difference between entering a token and opening a meter.
After ECG clears the flag
Ask the crew or the call-centre note whether unused credit tokens should still be entered. If yes, type them in a sensible order, then read remaining kWh. If the relay still stays open, you are not finished — say so while they are still on site. A “cleared” flag with a dead relay is another job, not a reason to vend GH₵50 on *714*22# in hope.
If ECG says the installation was bypassed, remaining units and last token will not restore legality. Do not buy prepaid as an apology. Follow their reconnection process. Compound owners who blame tenants should still not invite unlicensed “reset”. Magnets and cover-offs create the next flag.
Keep a photo of the seal after the visit. The next time a cousin offers to “boost the meter”, you have a picture of what must stay intact. Resume ordinary name-checked vending. Preferred everyday: *714*22#. Official backups: ECG PowerApp, *226#, vendor. None of them are tamper tools.
FAQ
Will *714*22# show a tamper warning before I pay?
Unlikely. Checkouts sell credit. The flag lives on the meter. Look at the glass before you PIN.
Is CRC a tamper?
No. CRC is checksum / generation. Use the NURI Relay path or CLOU upgrade path as appropriate.
Can I keep using light if tamper has not cut yet?
You can until it cuts. You should still call ECG. Flags do not age into legality.
Will remaining units survive a tamper lockout?
Usually the kWh already on the meter is still there after a legitimate ECG clear. Unused twenty-digit SMS should still be enterable afterwards. Do not buy a “replacement” credit while the flag is active — it may sit behind the same cutoff. Photograph remaining units when you can see the glass, keep the SMS, and let ECG speak first.
If it still fails
- YouTube clear-tamper codes: Installer menus and magnets make flags worse.
- Second token as apology to the meter: The meter does not forgive with kWh.
- Private MoMo “ECG officer”: 0302 611 611 only.
Tamper is ECG’s conversation, not a checkout’s. Keep your unused twenty-digit SMS, call 0302 611 611, then go back to ordinary credit on *714*22# once the flag is actually clear.