Kenya Power targets 55,000 SME customers with smart meters

Kenya Power has rolled out a smart metering project that will benefit 55,000 customers in the Small and Medium Enterprise sector across the country.

The Ksh.1.25 billion World Bank funded project is part of the Kenya Electricity Modernisation Project and is slated to be completed by 30th June this year.

Speaking during the launch, Kenya Power’s Managing Director and CEO, Bernard Ngugi said: “These combined benefits of error-free data, prompt network problem identification, and audit of energy consumption will go a long way in enhancing service delivery to our customers in the SME sector.”

The smart meters are part of an Advanced Metering Infrastructure that facilitates two-way communication between the company and the customer.

The platform gives customers access to real time information on their consumption patterns and billing thus allowing them to assess their energy usage through an online customer portal.

In case of any outage, the smart meters are able to communicate directly with the company’s National Contact Centre which facilitates immediate resolution and enhances efficiency .

This as the Kenya Power teams are alerted promptly. Additionally, the smart meter also sends a notification to the customer via SMS.

As the project covers 20% of the company’s SME customers, the company projects to have installed the smart meters for all SMEs by the end of the 2023/2024 financial year.

“We believe that the advanced metering technology will further enhance customer satisfaction based on the visibility and prompt detection of power usage and also reduce technical losses which are key to ensuring reliable and quality supply of power,” Mr. Ngugi said.