For years, the promise of prepaid electricity in Cameroon was simple: “Pay for what you use, and avoid the headache of estimated bills.” But behind the scenes, a massive financial imbalance has been brewing.
In a recent 2024/2025 report released by the Electricity Sector Regulatory Agency (ARSEL), it was revealed that the power system lost a staggering 4.65 Billion FCFA due to a “prepaid tariff gap.” As we move into 2026, the government and Eneo (now under state transition) are scrambling to plug this hole.
1. The Paradox: Why Did Prepaid Meters Lose Money?
You might think that because customers pay upfront for prepaid electricity, the system would be more profitable. However, the loss didn’t come from unpaid bills—it came from pricing inconsistency.
- The 2012 Legacy: Postpaid tariffs (the ones where you get a bill at the end of the month) were regulated and updated in 2012.
- The Prepaid Lag: For years, the prepaid system operated on a “pilot” tariff grid that didn’t perfectly match the official 2012 postpaid brackets.
- The “Over-collection” Deduction: Because the rates were not aligned, the regulator (ARSEL) considered the extra revenue collected from certain brackets as “improper” and actually deducted 4.65 Billion FCFA from the sector’s Revenue Management Account (RMA).
2. The 2026 Solution: Harmonized Tariffs
To fix this multi-billion franc leak, the government has enforced a harmonized tariff structure effective from late 2024, which is now fully operational in 2026. This means whether you have a “blue” meter (postpaid) or a “keypad” meter (prepaid), you pay exactly the same per kilowatt-hour.
New 2026 Residential Tariff Brackets:
If you are wondering why your units seem to “finish faster” some months, it’s because of these automatic brackets:
| Consumption Bracket | Price per kWh (FCFA) | Status |
| 0 – 110 kWh | 50 FCFA | Social Bracket (No VAT) |
| 111 – 220 kWh | 79 FCFA | Standard |
| 221 – 400 kWh | 94 FCFA | Includes VAT |
| Above 400 kWh | 99 FCFA | High Consumption |
3. The Bigger Financial Crisis: Monthly Shortfalls
While the 4.6 billion FCFA “prepaid gap” is a specific technical loss, the entire sector is facing a much larger “Cash Flow Hemorrhage.”
Minister of Water and Energy, Gaston Eloundou Essomba, recently revealed a terrifying set of numbers during a technical session in Douala:
- Monthly Revenue: ~31 Billion FCFA.
- Monthly Operating Costs: ~44 Billion FCFA.
- Monthly Shortfall: 13 Billion FCFA.
This means every month, the sector “loses” 13 billion FCFA just to keep the lights on. This is why load-shedding persists—the system simply doesn’t have enough cash to buy the fuel needed for thermal plants or to pay independent power producers like Nachtigal.
4. The 60 Billion FCFA “Fraud” Factor
Beyond the prepaid tariff gap, the sector is losing an estimated 60 Billion FCFA annually to energy theft.
- Illegal Connections: In many neighborhoods in Douala and Yaoundé, “spiderman” wires bypass meters entirely.
- Meter Tampering: Some “experts” have found ways to slow down or bypass even the new smart meters.
The 2026 “Electricity Recovery Plan” (PRSEC), backed by 400 Billion FCFA from the World Bank and AfDB, is specifically targeting these losses by replacing 11,600 wooden poles with concrete ones and installing 1.5 million more smart meters that are harder to hack.
5. What This Means for You in 2026
The government is moving toward a “User-Pays” model. To balance the books:
- Automation of Public Bills: Starting in 2026, the state will automatically deduct electricity bills from the budgets of ministries and public hospitals to ensure Eneo gets paid.
- Aggressive Collection: Expect more frequent “raids” by Eneo teams to check for meter tampering.
- Refinancing: The state is raising 1,650 Billion FCFA in debt to clear the arrears owed by public companies like Alucam and Camwater, who are among the biggest debtors.
“The core issue is the financial imbalance. We are generating 31 billion but spending 44 billion. We must bridge this 13 billion gap to ensure stability.” — Gaston Eloundou Essomba, Minister of Energy.
Final Verdict
The 4.6 billion FCFA prepaid loss was a symptom of a disorganized system. In 2026, the “renationalization” of Eneo and the harmonization of tariffs are attempts to make the sector profitable. However, until the 13 Billion FCFA monthly gap is closed, the struggle for stable power in Cameroon remains an uphill battle.