ELECTRICITY SECTOR : Eneo Announces the Installation of 20,000 Smart Meters on Public Buildings from 2026

(LVDE) – This initiative, which aims to ensure the reliability of electricity consumption measurements in administrative buildings and on the public lighting network in Cameroon while reducing disputes with the national distributor, was announced by the Minister of Water and Energy, Gaston Eloundou Essomba.

Cameroon’s electricity landscape is set to undergo a major turning point. Starting in 2026, 20,000 smart meters will be deployed on public infrastructure across the country, a decision announced in late November 2025 by the Minister of Water and Energy, Gaston Eloundou Essomba, before the National Assembly. This ambitious investment seeks to secure energy consumption readings and reduce the frequent disputes between public administrations and Eneo, the country’s main electricity supplier.

Currently, many public institutions regularly challenge Eneo’s billing amounts, denouncing alleged overbilling that strains relations with the distributor. By replacing old metering systems with smart meters, Eneo hopes to increase transparency in consumption data, allowing each party to verify readings. This change is particularly relevant for public lighting, where billing is still based on rudimentary estimates.

For example, the accounting system for public lighting relies on the number of streetlights in cities such as Yaoundé and Douala, with billing based on assumptions about their operating hours. This has often led to conflicts, especially when solar-powered streetlights, which are not supplied by Eneo, are included in consumption calculations. By introducing smart meters on the public network, the company aims to move from an estimation-based approach to one founded on actual measurements, thereby ensuring fairer billing.

However, this progress does not fully resolve the core issue: the effective payment of electricity bills by the State and its institutions. This problem, long identified as a major obstacle to the financial viability of Cameroon’s electricity sector, remains a serious concern. Amine Homman Ludiye, Managing Director of Eneo, recently pointed out that despite issuing monthly bills of around CFA 7 billion to public administrations, collections have been limited to negligible amounts, worsening an alarming deficit.

To address this situation, the Cameroonian government is considering stricter measures for public entities with overdue payments starting in 2026. These decisions fall within the framework of Cameroon’s Energy Compact, a plan aimed at developing sustainable energy infrastructure by 2030. The document notably proposes integrating electricity bills into the salary payment process for civil servants and factoring arrears into the budgets of public institutions. In addition, plans are underway to automate collections by deducting amounts owed at source from public enterprises, thereby limiting the accumulation of new arrears.

Thus, the transition to smart meters is accompanied by a clear determination to clean up payment practices in the electricity sector. As Cameroon moves toward modernizing its power network, the goal is to ensure reliable, transparent, and accessible electricity nationwide while preserving Eneo’s financial balance. This strategic shift could redefine the relationship between the distributor and public entities, ushering in a new era of collaboration and shared responsibility.

Esther Grace