Ghana Water bills you after you use the water. A meter reader records your meter, the bill charges the difference from the last reading at the tariff the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) sets, and you pay. Most disputes come down to a reading, so learn to read the meter yourself.
Reading the meter
The meter counts cubic metres. One cubic metre is 1,000 litres - the size of a common polytank.
- The black figures on the dial are whole cubic metres. These are what the bill uses.
- The red figures or small dials, if your meter has them, are fractions of a cubic metre, in litres.
Write down the black figures and the date, once a month, and keep them. Two readings a month apart tell you how much you used, and that is the number to hold the bill against.
To check for a leak: turn off every tap, note the reading, and look again an hour or two later without using any water. If it has moved, water is escaping between the meter and your taps.
What the bill charges
Residential tariffs from 1 July 2026, unchanged for the last quarter of 2026:
| Per cubic metre | |
|---|---|
| The first 5 m³ a month (lifeline) | ₵5.99 |
| Every cubic metre above that | About ₵10.59 |
On top, a monthly service charge of ₵10 in PURC’s 2026 table. PURC reviews tariffs every quarter, so check its latest decision if a bill looks out of line.
The bill also shows:
- The previous and present readings, and the difference between them. Compare the present reading with your meter.
- Whether the reading was actual or estimated. An estimated bill is a guess, often from your past use; it is the most common cause of a bill that is too high.
- Arrears - anything unpaid from earlier bills, including a previous tenant’s if the account was never closed.
When the bill looks wrong
- Read the meter and compare it with the bill’s present reading.
- If the bill was estimated, or the reading is wrong, take your meter reading, the bill and your account number to the Ghana Water district office that serves you, and ask for it to be corrected to the actual reading.
- If the meter reads nothing because no water came, you should not be billed for water: Ghana Water has said a meter that has not turned reads zero and is not charged.
- If the district office does not resolve it, PURC takes complaints about utility bills, from its offices or its website.
Paying
Pay by MoMo or at a Ghana Water office, and keep the receipt or the transaction message. If you rent, find out whose name the account is in and whether the meter is yours alone: a shared meter split by guesswork is a reliable source of arguments in a compound house.
— Water in Accra: storage, tankers and drinking water — Electricity and dumsor