Ethiopia launches $48.8 million project to install 500,000 smart meters nationwide

Addis Ababa, March 26, 2026 (FMC) – Ethiopia is rolling out a nationwide project to install 500,000 smart prepaid electricity meters for both existing and new customers, with a total investment of $48.8 million.

Mr. Anwar Abrar, Communications Executive Director at the Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU), explained that the rollout includes 125,000 smart three-phase meters, 25,000 smart single-phase meters, and 350,000 offline single-phase modern prepaid meters.

According to Mr. Abrar, the project has already seen the installation of 60,457 single-phase meters for residential and commercial customers consuming up to 7.5 kilowatts of power. Additionally, 7,013 three-phase meters are currently being installed for residential, commercial, and small-scale industrial users consuming between 8 and 24 kilowatts.

The modern meters will enable prepaid customers to recharge their electricity directly via mobile phones, eliminating the need to visit service centers.

He asserted that this system currently allows more than 67,000 customers to purchase electricity conveniently from their homes using mobile applications provided by Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Ethio Telecom, and Awash Bank throughout the week.

Mr. Abrar tolda Fana Media Corporation that the new meters will address common issues such as lost or damaged prepaid cards, network outages, and difficulties in making payments for electricity consumption.