Kenya Power has begun a nationwide implementation of a new digital meter reading system

In a statement on Monday, Kenya Power announced the upcoming deployment of an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) system across all eight regions, set to replace the traditional manual entry of meter numbers and readings.

Richard Wida, Kenya Power’s Commercial Cycle Manager, emphasised the role of technology in enhancing billing accuracy. “With the OCR system, meter readers will simply scan the meter, allowing automatic collection of readings. This will save time and reduce human error commonly associated with manual entry.”

This rollout follows a successful six-month pilot in Nairobi from March to September 2025 and aims to streamline the process for all 1.8 million postpaid meters that still require physical readings. The OCR system is expected to cut down billing anomalies, a frequent source of customer complaints due to misread data.

Wida described the OCR technology as a key milestone in Kenya Power’s digital transformation, enhancing service delivery and customer experience. It will integrate with existing digital platforms like the Mypower App and USSD code *977#, which allow customers to check bills and report outages.

Additionally, Kenya Power has implemented smart meters for large consumers and selected domestic users, enabling remote meter readings and eliminating the need for on-site visits. The adoption of OCR is part of a broader initiative to modernise operations and provide more reliable services, with the expectation of improved billing accuracy and customer satisfaction in the months ahead.