In a move to expand energy access for rural communities far from the national power grid, the Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) has officially announced that new residential customers in areas served by solar power projects will now receive electricity meters free of charge.
The announcement was made today during the inauguration ceremony of the Hodi Boku Solar Power Project, located in the Hoko District of the Sidama Region’s Eastern Zone.
Constructed with 227.2 million Birr in funding from the World Bank, the Hodi Boku solar facility has an installed capacity of 525 kilowatts. The project is designed to provide sustainable energy to the town and its surrounding areas, with the capacity to serve over 2,000 households, including various social institutions.
According to the utility’s technical team, infrastructure development for the project included the installation of 1.2 kilometers of medium-voltage and 10.5 kilometers of low-voltage transmission lines. Furthermore, three transformers have been installed and are now fully operational.
Through the newly introduced free meter initiative, 487 households in the area have already been connected to the service.
The Ethiopian Electric Utility stated that the primary objective of this new policy is to ensure that every citizen, regardless of their economic standing, can access clean energy and transition to a more modern lifestyle.
The utility emphasized that this measure will significantly assist low-income households, removing financial barriers that might otherwise prevent them from improving their quality of life.
By eliminating the cost of meters, the government aims to ensure that no segment of society is left behind in the country’s modernization efforts. Residents in all regions where solar power projects have been implemented are now eligible to take advantage of this free connection policy starting today.
Over the past few years, the EEU has prioritized bringing solar energy to rural towns situated far from the main power grid. As a result, 43 solar power plants have been constructed nationwide, including the Hodi Boku facility, providing electricity to more than 10,000 households.
In addition to this initiative, the utility continues its long-standing policy of providing long-term installment payment options for electricity meters to customers connected to the main national grid. By combining these efforts with the new free-meter policy for solar-powered zones, the EEU expects to further accelerate rural development across the country.
