Paul Mwesigwa, UEDCL’s Managing Director
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has unveiled plans to stop the exploitation of tenants through unfair electricity billing, following growing complaints about landlords combining meters and passing on inflated power costs.
In a recent announcement made by the power distributor, many tenants in rental apartments, shops and commercial buildings are currently paying excessive electricity charges because power is supplied through shared meters controlled by property owners.
This arrangement, according to the utility, creates room for arbitrary pricing that often has no clear link to actual electricity consumption.
“To resolve the issue, we intend to expand the use of separate electricity meters for individual tenants,” said part of the announcement, adding that under the planned approach, each shop, apartment or business unit will have its own meter, allowing occupants to directly track and pay for their power usage without third-party interference.
“We also appeal to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to tighten enforcement of building standards by making individual metering a requirement for all newly constructed properties,” it said.
UEDCL argues that planning for proper metering during construction not only reduces future costs but also helps prevent disputes between landlords and tenants.
For existing buildings, the company says it will engage landlords and property managers to regularise electricity connections and guide them through the process of installing additional meters where necessary.
“Fair metering benefits both parties by improving transparency and reducing conflicts over power bills,” further said the announcement, which was made on the sidelines of the ongoing investments in electricity infrastructure, including recent improvements at the Kampala South Substation.
The upgrade is expected to strengthen power supply capacity and improve reliability for customers in Kampala and surrounding areas.
Tenants who believe they are being unfairly charged for electricity have been encouraged to report such cases through official UEDCL channels.
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