Exploring Community Acceptance of Electricity Smart Metering in Urban Slums in Ghana

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-970-4_27How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Smart metering; electricity access; urban slums; energy justice; user perceptions

Abstract

This study investigates community-level perceptions, lived experiences, and trust dynamics surrounding the deployment of electricity-smart metering systems in urban slums in Ghana. While smart meters are often championed as tools for efficient energy governance, their success depends not only on technical design but also on local acceptance, particularly in marginalised settlements where service relationships are often fraught. A qualitative ethnographic approach was employed, drawing on 28 in-depth interviews, four focus group discussions, and field observations across three urban slums in Ghana, specifically in Accra (Old Fadama), Kumasi (Aboabo), and Takoradi (Kekeli-Zongo). Participants included household heads, informal tenants, meter installers, and local energy agents. Thematic analysis was used to explore perceptions of fairness, transparency, functionality, and social trust in the new metering systems. Community acceptance of smart meters is shaped more by relational factors than by technical features. While some residents acknowledged improved transparency and billing accuracy, others expressed distrust, citing a lack of prior consultation, unclear tariff structures, and fears of surveillance. Informal housing status and disconnection risks further complicated trust in the system. Many users felt disempowered by a top-down implementation process that neglected local context and existing coping strategies. The study focuses on selected communities, and while it provides rich insights, findings may not fully represent the diversity of slum settlements nationwide. Broader comparative studies are recommended. Policymakers and utilities must adopt co-creation models that involve residents in a meaningful and early manner. Technical fixes alone will not achieve long-term system compliance. Equitable energy access requires both innovation and inclusion. Without community buy-in, smart technologies risk reinforcing old inequalities under a new digital guise.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - F. Osumanu
AU  - E. B. Osei
AU  - S. N. O. Wellington
AU  - R. S. Adofo
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/31
TI  - Exploring Community Acceptance of Electricity Smart Metering in Urban Slums in Ghana
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering, Science, and Urban Sustainability (ICESUS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 432
EP  - 444
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-970-4_27
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-970-4_27
ID  - Osumanu2025
ER  -