A customer's concern over receiving fewer electricity units despite paying the same amount has drawn attention to how Kenya Power recovers outstanding Last Mile connection debts.
The issue arose after the customer purchased tokens worth Ksh500 on two separate meters but received significantly different units.
In the first instance, the Ksh500 purchase yielded 19.4 units, while the same amount on the second meter produced only 9.7 units.
The discrepancy prompted the customer to question the variation, seeking clarification on why identical payments resulted in unequal electricity units.
Responding to the query, Kenya Power explained the reason behind the reduced units on the second meter:
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"The meter has an outstanding Last Mile connection debt, which was initially Ksh15,000 and is being recovered at 50% from each purchase. The current remaining balance is Ksh5,749.50, which is why you are receiving fewer units," the company explained.
This comes weeks after Kenya Power issued a notice to customers across the country as it began rolling out a new electricity meter reading system.
In a notice on Tuesday, March 10, Kenya Power said the new technology would modernize how its teams captured meter readings, replacing the traditional manual process.
According to the company, the system worked by scanning the meter display rather than relying on staff to manually input numbers.
"Kenya Power has introduced an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) system for electricity meter reading.
"The OCR system allows our teams to scan meter displays directly, instead of manually typing meter numbers and readings. This improves the accuracy and efficiency of billing, helping ensure customers receive correct bills," the notice read.
Kenya Power noted that some challenges had emerged during the early stages of the nationwide rollout, particularly when meter readers were unable to access meters located inside locked premises or secured boxes.
"As the system is being rolled out across the country, we have noted that locked premises and meter boxes are the main challenge affecting meter reading," the notice added.
Because of this, the company asked customers to cooperate with staff when they visited homes or business premises to take meter readings.
"Customers are therefore kindly requested to allow our staff access to meters within their premises, including opening meter boxes where necessary," the notice continued.
Kenya Power reassured customers about safety and verification procedures when staff visited their premises to take readings.
"For your safety, all Kenya Power staff visiting customer premises will carry official identification cards with their staff number and national ID details. Customers can also verify anyone claiming to be a Kenya Power employee by dialling *977# and selecting the Jua for Sure option," the notice concluded.
