A Quantum Leap

The Nama Group has been using digitalisation, technology and innovation to enhance customer service

The Group has made a great progress in implement the digitalisation and modernisation strategy using technology in network and customer service operations. These strides played a significant role in enhancing its services, and customer experience.

The following services were further developed and digitalized in 2022:

Prepaid Meters

In 2021, the distribution companies expanded the deployment of prepaid meters to different customer segments. The number of prepaid meters installed increased by 40% from 2021 reaching 126,643 prepaid meters. Prepaid meters have proven to be very convenient for apartment blocks and commercial customers where premises are rented or for temporary use.

E-channels

The Electricity Distribution companies are always working to utilise the opportunities and on improving their customer services through enhancing customer access channels. In 2021, the number of customer bills delivered via e-channels (phone messages, or emails) reached 88%. Furthermore, several campaigns encouraging e-payment and expanding the customer payment channels helped increase the utilisation of e-payment channels. In 2021, more than 63% of all customer payments happened via mobile apps, websites, bill payment machines or banks with no human interaction. This is a record high in the history of the electricity sector and strong evidence of the high confidence customers have in the electricity sector services and bill accuracy.

Meter Reading

The distribution companies continued the use & deployment of modern technologies for a meter reading through the utilisation of AMR technologies for reading meters remotely. The Group expanded the use of smart meters by targeting residential customers who consume 100 MWh per year.

As part of the Group’s commitment to using modern technologies in meter reading operations, the electricity distribution companies in the Group have adopted smart metering technologies (AMR) that are read remotely. The Group expanded the use of smart meters since 2016 by targeting customers from all categories who consume 100 MWh per year.

By the end of 2022, smart meters covered 25% of the total number of electricity customers in the Sultanate, reaching more than 300,000 smart meters, through which over 60% of the electricity consumed in the country is read.

In terms of Water and Wastewater sector, Nama Water Services continued the deployment of AMR meters, and by the end of 2022 more than 46% of customers across the Sultanate of Oman had a smart meter. It is also worth mentioning that the company maintained a level of high accuracy in meter reading, represented by 95%.

Dhofar Integrated Services Company retained a meter reading accuracy level of 96%. On the network side, the Company continued the deployment of smart meters and prepaid meters. More than 23% of customers across the Dhofar Region either have a prepaid meter or a smart meter, based on 2022 statistics.