Utilities urged to close the performance gap in smart meter programmes

Smart meters have already been deployed across many utilities and municipalities, yet the expected returns are still not being fully realised.

Improved revenue collection, accurate billing and clearer visibility of consumption remain persistent challenges for organisations that have invested in smart metering infrastructure.

To address this gap, ESI Africa, part of VUKA Group, and GridLens Energy will host a live webinar titled “Maximising smart meter returns” on Tuesday, 2 June 2026 from 14:00 to 15:00 SAST.

The webinar will take a practical look at where smart metering programmes underperform after deployment and what utilities, municipalities and energy users can do to improve outcomes from systems already in place.

Across the sector, common challenges include underutilised data, poor system integration, revenue leakage, billing inaccuracies and limited operational visibility. For many organisations, the issue is not whether to invest in smart metering, but how to extract measurable performance from the investment already made.

The session will bring together experts from GridLens Energy, Drakenstein Municipality and eThekwini Municipality to unpack the technical, financial and operational barriers that prevent smart metering programmes from delivering their full value.

Webinar details

Title: Maximising smart meter returns
Date: Tuesday, 2 June 2026
Time: 14:00 to 15:00 SAST
Registration: https://apo-opa.co/4dCRUcD

Expert speakers

• Carson Dean, Founder, GridLens Energy
• Hilton Smith, Chief Accountant: Water and Electricity Billing, Drakenstein Municipality, South Africa
• Sindisiwe Shozi, Chief Engineer, eThekwini Municipality, South Africa

Key discussion points will include:

• Why smart meter programmes often fail to deliver expected returns
• Where value is lost across data, systems and operations
• How to improve billing accuracy and reduce revenue leakage
• The role of integration and interoperability in improving performance
• Practical approaches to extracting more value from existing deployments

The webinar is designed for utilities, municipalities, metering teams, billing departments, revenue managers, infrastructure decision-makers, large commercial and industrial energy users, technology providers and system integrators.

Smart metering investment has already been made. The priority now is performance.

Register for the webinar here:
https://apo-opa.co/4dCRUcD
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

About ESI Africa:
ESI Africa is Africa’s trusted power, energy, water and utility multimedia platform. Positioned as an impartial industry mouthpiece, ESI Africa has delivered technical developments and analysis in print and digital formats since 1996.

Through its print, digital and webinar platforms, ESI Africa connects readers with solution providers and delivers insight into Africa’s energy, power, utility and water transformation.

Website: www.ESI-Africa.com

About VUKA Group:
VUKA Group connects people and organisations across Africa’s energy, mining, mobility, green economy and retail sectors through events, content and strategic networking. VUKA Group is a venture partner to The Global Trust Project and a leader of NPO Go Green Africa.

Website: www.WeAreVUKA.com