Kenya Power has begun introducing a new meter reading system that aims to speed up data collection and improve billing accuracy across the country. The Company said on Monday that the technology will replace the traditional manual process that relied on meter readers typing in numbers every month.
The new system, known as Optical Character Recognition, uses scanning instead of manual entry. With this method, meter readers only need to scan a meter display, allowing the system to automatically process the reading with high accuracy.
The Company says this shift is expected to make the monthly billing cycle faster and more reliable.
“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. 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,” Richard Wida, Kenya Power’s Commercial Cycle Manager, said.
The rollout follows a six-month test phase in Nairobi that began in March 2025. After the trial proved successful, Kenya Power expanded the deployment to all eight of its regions. The program will cover 1.8 million postpaid meters that previously depended entirely on manual readings.
The Company says the technology is expected not only to improve efficiency but also to reduce billing problems caused by incorrect readings. Wida said the move is part of a wider plan to upgrade customer service through digital tools.
“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.
Kenya Power has also been using digital platforms to make services easier to access. Through the Mypower App and the USSD code *977#, customers can check their accounts, request services, and even submit their own meter readings.
Postpaid customers are already able to provide their readings through these tools, and the Company plans to integrate the OCR system directly into customer self-reading in future.
“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,” Wida said.
The Company has also installed smart meters for large customers, SMEs and some homes. These devices come with two-way communication that enables remote meter reading, as well as remote disconnections and reconnections when required.
Kenya Power says the introduction of OCR fits into its broader digital upgrade plan aimed at improving service delivery, cutting errors and making billing more dependable.
By combining OCR with self-service tools and smart metering, the Company expects to reduce the need for manual work and make the meter reading process more reliable.
The nationwide rollout means that 1.8 million postpaid meters will now be read through the new system. Kenya Power says the change will bring faster, more accurate and more consistent billing for customers while supporting cleaner, more efficient operations across the energy sector.
