Electricity is an essential service that powers our homes, businesses, and industries. However, paying for electricity can sometimes be a hassle, especially for customers who have to queue for long hours, travel long distances, or face the risk of disconnection due to delayed payments. That is why Airtel Money Kenya, a leading telecommunications service provider, and Kenya Power, the national electricity distributor, have partnered to offer a solution that will make electricity payment easier and faster for customers across the country.
Airtel Money Kenya and Kenya Power announced the partnership yesterday. The partnership aims to enable Airtel and Kenya Power customers to pay their electricity bills using Airtel Money. The partnership is aimed at enhancing customer convenience and expanding access to mobile money services across the country.
According to the agreement, Airtel Money Kenya customers will be able to pay their postpaid and prepaid electricity bills through a simple and secure process. Customers will dial *222#, select option 4 (pay bill), select option 3 (Kenya Power), enter their account number or meter number, enter the amount they wish to pay, and confirm with their Airtel Money PIN. Customers will receive a confirmation message from both Airtel Money Kenya and Kenya Power once the transaction is completed.
The partnership will also enable customers to purchase Kenya Power tokens at any of the over 10,000 Airtel Money agents across the country. Customers will receive a 16-digit code via SMS that they will use to load their prepaid meters. The service will attract a standard fee of Kshs. 25 per transaction, regardless of the amount paid.
Speaking during the launch of the service, Airtel Kenya Managing Director Prasanta Das Sarma said that the partnership is in line with the company’s vision of providing innovative and relevant solutions that meet the needs of its customers. He added that Airtel Money is committed to offering convenience, ease of access, and affordability to its customers.
“We are delighted to partner with Kenya Power to offer our customers a simple and secure way of paying their electricity bills using Airtel Money. This is part of our continuous efforts to enhance customer experience and provide solutions that address their specific needs. With this service, our customers will no longer have to queue or travel long distances to pay their bills or purchase tokens. They will be able to do so from the comfort of their homes or offices, at any time of the day or night,” he said.
Kenya Power Managing Director and CEO Bernard Ngugi said that the partnership is in line with the company’s strategy of increasing customer satisfaction and convenience. He added that Kenya Power is keen on leveraging on technology to improve service delivery and expand its payment options.
“We are pleased to partner with Airtel Money Kenya to offer our customers more options to pay their electricity bills and purchase tokens. This partnership will enable us to reach more customers, especially those in remote areas where access to banking services is limited. It will also reduce the instances of disconnections and reconnections, as customers will be able to pay their bills promptly and conveniently,” he said.
The partnership comes at a time when Airtel Money has recorded significant growth in its customer base and transaction volume. According to the latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Airtel Money registered a 20.2 percent increase in active subscriptions to 3.5 million as of June 2020. The service also recorded a 64 percent increase in the value of transactions to Kshs. 44.8 billion in the same period.
Airtel Money Kenya offers a range of services including money transfer, bill payment, airtime purchase, bank account integration, merchant payment, and international money transfer. The service has also partnered with various institutions such as NHIF, KRA, eCitizen, Jumia, DStv, GoTV, Zuku, and Nairobi City County to offer more convenience to its customers.
