(Business in Cameroon) - The use of prepaid meters has helped reduce billing-related complaints by 54% from 2020 to 2022, according to Cameroon’s national electricity company. Eneo explains in its 2022 report that this progress comes from replacing old meters with prepaid ones, which has improved billing methods and has strengthened the use of digital solutions.

The company revealed that between 2018 and 2022 over 630,000 prepaid meters were deployed, with more than 220,000 installed in 2022. This reduction in billing complaints is particularly important for Eneo because, according to the company itself, disputed bills have been a significant source of tension between the electricity provider and its customers. In 2019, 43% of the issues brought up during discussions with customers concerned problems with their bills.

In the first half of 2023, Eneo reported a significant surge in new customers for smart meters. "Over 90% of our new customers in the first half of 2023 have also opted for the prepaid solution. As a result, the proportion of prepaid meters installed in households has increased to 32%, up from 28% at the end of 2022," the company said.

With 630,000 prepaid meters in place by the end of 2022, serving an estimated 1.9 million customers during the same period, this smart equipment now accounts for slightly over 33% of Eneo's customer base.