How to upgrade prepaid meter
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has asked citizens nationwide to upgrade their STS prepaid meters.
In a statement, the regulatory body said users who fail to update their meters before November 2024 will not be able to recharge their prepaid meters.
NERC explained that the upgrade is being carried out globally and is not limited to Nigeria.
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Why do you need to update your prepaid meter?
A major reason for the update stems from the specifications of the prepaid metres themselves. According to Conlog, one of the licensed meter asset providers, each credit token, the essential tool for recharging prepaid meters, contains a unique token identifier (TID) encoded within its 20 digits. This TID is anchored to a base date, originating in 1993, and is set to expire by November 2024.
Consequently, failure to update the meter’s base date through the prescribed method would render the metre obsolete.
The solution to this challenge is simple: reset each metre to reference a new base date. This process involves entering two special tokens before the November 24, 2024, deadline. According to the NERC, this update will not affect the existing units within the metre or alter their operational speed. The objective of this update is solely to ensure the continued functionality of prepaid metres, they said.
Here’s how to get your KCTs based on your method of energy purchase.
Steps to upgrade meter
For Ikeja Electric consumers, here is the step to upgrading the meter.
- To upgrade your meter, you need a Key Change Token (KCT) (a special’reset’ token) to be loaded on your meter.
- To get this token, you will need to first link your NIN (National Identification Number) to your meter at www.smartkyc.ikejaelectric.com/nin.
- You will receive three (3) sets of 20-digit tokens the first time you vend after linking your NIN.
- If you didn’t receive the token after linking your NIN, use this link: https://www.ikejaelectric.com/kctcheck/ to generate the code, but ensure you recharge first.
- Input the first set of 20-digit tokens (KCT 1); this will wipe off the old meter settings.
- Input the second set of 20-digit tokens (KCT 2), then upgrade your meter to the new STS platform.
- The last 20-digit tokens will load the purchased energy value into the meter.
USSD Code To Upgrade Prepaid Meter
“Dial *7024#, select 2 for token retrieval, and input your meter number to retrieve your KCT. Currently available on MTN, 9Mobile, and GLO networks.”
For Kano DisCo users;
- Visit http://customercare.kedco.ng to load KEDCO’s customer care portal.
- Select your complaint category: ‘Key change token’
- Put in your name, meter number, e-mail address, phone number, and service address.
- Click ‘Send Issue’ to submit your request.
- After a while, check your email inbox for the two 20-digit key change tokens. It should be sent as ‘Key change 1’ and ‘Key change 2’
- Put in the key change tokens in the right order. Input key change 1 first, then press ‘enter’. After it shows
- ‘Success’, input key change 2, and press ‘enter’.
If you encounter issues or have complaints, Ikeja Electric offers responsive customer care services. For assistance, call 01-7000250, 01-2272940, or send an email to customercare@ikejaelectric.com.
Alternatively, reach out via Twitter.