Kenya Power rolls out digital meter reading system to boost billing accuracy
The Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology will allow meter readings to be captured automatically, cutting down on human error and speeding up the billing process.
Kenya Power has begun a nationwide implementation of a new digital meter reading system, aimed at enhancing billing accuracy and reducing the time required to collect monthly consumption data from postpaid customers.
The Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology will allow meter readings to be captured automatically, cutting down on human error and speeding up the billing process.
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In a statement on Monday, the utility company announced that the system would be deployed across all eight of its regions, replacing the traditional manual entry of meter numbers and readings.
“Technology is a major driver of our business, and in terms of billing, specifically meter reading, we have been looking at how to make it better and more accurate,” Kenya Power’s Commercial Cycle Manager, Richard Wida, said.
“With the OCR system, the meter reader will just be required to scan the meter, and the system will pick the meter readings automatically. This will save time and eliminate human error that is likely to occur if the meter reader manually types the readings.”
The rollout follows a successful six-month pilot conducted in Nairobi between March and September 2025. Kenya Power now plans to extend the technology to all 1.8 million postpaid meters that still require physical readings for billing purposes.
Beyond improving meter reading efficiency, the OCR system is expected to reduce billing anomalies, a persistent source of customer complaints caused by misread or inaccurately entered data.
“The OCR technology is a major milestone in Kenya Power’s digital transformation journey through which the Company is aiming to strengthen service delivery and enhance customer experience. It will complement other technologies that the Company has deployed to improve service delivery and strengthen operations,” Wida added.
The company has also expanded digital self-service platforms such as the Mypower App and USSD code *977#, which allow customers to check bills, report outages, and submit self-readings. Kenya Power said the OCR system will eventually integrate with these platforms.
Through self-reading on these platforms, postpaid customers can already submit monthly readings to ensure accurate billing. Wida said the OCR system would further improve this process.
“In future, we want to enable the use of OCR in self-reading so that our customers can enjoy the convenience of reading their meters with minimal chance of error,” he said.
In addition, Kenya Power has rolled out smart meters for large power consumers, SMEs and selected domestic users. Unlike conventional meters, smart meters support two-way communication, allowing remote meter readings, disconnections, and reconnections without on-site visits.
The adoption of OCR is part of Kenya Power’s wider effort to modernise operations and provide more reliable, customer-focused services. With the system now in active deployment, the company expects significant improvements in billing accuracy and overall customer satisfaction in the coming months.
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