Adaobi Rhema Oguejiofor
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has urged power users across the country to start updating their prepaid meters in order to avoid losing the meters by November 2024.
The advice comes as power distribution companies (Discos) explained that un-updated prepaid meters would stop operating from November 2024, adding that this was a global standard for prepaid electricity meters.
The Commission said that, it is time for prepaid meter owners to update their meters because from November 2024, they may not be able to recharge the meters.
“Updating is easy and free. Discos shall commence issuance of two free Key Change Tokens, which will update your meter. The update will not affect the units in your meter nor will it make your meter run faster than usual. Contact your Disco for more information,” it stated.
The Kaduna Electric Distribution Company (KEDCO) recently shared a two minute video where it explained how customers could upgrade their prepaid meters in order to avoid losing the meters in future.
The Head of Non-Maximum Demand Metering for Kaduna Electric, Umar Gumel, said that the video is to inform the public that the need to update meters is a worldwide development as regards prepaid meters, stating that it is not just in Kaduna Electric alone or in Nigeria alone, but is a worldwide affair.
In his own words, “Standard Transfer Specification (STS) standard meters will have what they call Roll Over by November 2024. So every meter has to be upgraded to a certain value of standard before that date. Otherwise, any meter that fails to receive the upgrade token will cease to operate by the said date. The implication is that, that meter can never work and it can never be used, and so it becomes a loss.
“The cost of a three-phase meter as at today stands at N118,000, while that of the single phase is N63,000. So you can see the colossal amount of loss that would happen.”
Gumel said that Kaduna Electric was calling for the cooperation and understanding of power users under its franchise areas to reach any of the Disco’s cash offices and ask for the rollover token.
“It will be given to you just like the way you are purchasing your electricity token. You will enter it the way you are entering your electricity token. And once the meter accepts the token, it will upgrade itself automatically. Your old meter units will remain there, it will not be touched. The speed of the meter is also going to remain permanent as before, no increase, no decrease.
“It is only the meter programming system that will be upgraded to avoid the rollover repercussions,” he explained.