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In Nigeria, different regions are serviced by specific electricity distribution companies (DisCos). The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has instructed that all prepaid meters be upgraded. Learning how to upgrade your prepaid meter in Nigeria looks simpler than it sounds.
Prepaid meters have transformed how Nigerians manage their electricity consumption. They allow customers to monitor usage, pay as needed, and avoid unnecessary billing surprises.
However, with advancements in technology and changes in Nigeria’s power system, you may need to upgrade your prepaid meter to stay in sync with new regulations or for better functionality.
If you’re wondering how to upgrade your prepaid meter, this article will guide you in simple steps. We will show you how to upgrade the prepaid meter for IEDC, IBEDC, EEDC, EKEDC, PHED, AEDC, and JEDC.
There are several reasons you may need to upgrade your prepaid meter upgrade.
On August 22, 2023, the Nigerian Electric Regulatory Commission (NERC) made an announcement asking people to upgrade their prepaid meters. This process is known as the TID Rollover. NERC also instructed all Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to help customers with this upgrade.
As part of this, DisCos are required to give users two free Key Change Tokens (KCTs), which are important for updating the meters.
Here are some common situations that require an upgrade:
Upgrading your prepaid meter is essential to ensure you enjoy uninterrupted power and accurate billing.
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From November 1, 2023, Ikeja Electric Distribution Company started giving out Key Change Tokens (KCTs) as part of the prepaid meter upgrade. Here’s some important info to make the process smooth.
If you don’t link your prepaid meter to your National Identification Number (NIN), you won’t be able to buy electricity. So, it’s really important to finish the NIN validation on Ikeja Electric’s website to get your KCTs.
Here’s how to upgrade your Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IEDC) prepaid meter in Nigeria:
Note: You can only link one NIN to a meter, except if you’re a landlord with multiple meters. In that case, you can use your NIN more than once.
Alternatively, you can visit Ikeja Electric’s KCT Check page to get your KCTs for the meter upgrade.
To upgrade your meter, follow these steps:
This process only needs to be done once. After a successful upgrade, you won’t have to repeat it.
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The good news? The upgrade is totally free, so don’t pay anyone for it!
As a valued IBEDC customer, do you need a KCT to upgrade your prepaid meter? If so, just follow these simple steps:
And that’s it! You’re all set for your upgrade.
However, note that your credit unit balance on the meter will remain the same and will not be affected after the meter upgrade (i.e. loading of the KCT).
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Upgrading your EKEDC prepaid meter is a simple process. Just follow these steps:
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If you’ve got a prepaid electricity meter and it’s older than 2014, including those from AEDC, you need to update it. Without this update, your meter won’t accept new energy tokens. The update process, called TID Rollover, ensures your meter keeps working smoothly.
Updating your meter will let it load energy tokens and continue functioning properly. It also boosts security, keeps your service running smoothly, and meets international standards.
If you’re using AEDC for your electricity, here’s how to upgrade your prepaid meter:
And that’s it—your meter is all set and updated!
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The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has asked PHED to update all prepaid meters using a TID Rollover Key Change Token by November 2024.
This means if your meter isn’t updated with the TID rollover key change token by that deadline, you won’t be able to buy electricity. Make sure to get this done before the cut-off to avoid any disruptions!
Upgrading your PHED prepaid meter is quite straightforward. Here’s how to do it:
Upgrading your JEDC prepaid meter is quick and easy. Follow these steps:
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The meter upgrade requires that existing meters need to be upgraded to a new specification by November 2024 so that they can continue to accept meter tokens. What is STS? STS stands for Standard Transfer Specification. It is a standard protocol for the transfer of credit from the point of sale to the energy meter.
We aim to change your meter in about an hour, so if you’re having both done it’ll take a couple of hours. To not disrupt you too much, we only switch off your electricity and gas supply at the point of changing your meters.
Instead of prepaying for energy, users are billed periodically based on their actual consumption. Smart meters automatically transmit usage data to the energy supplier, eliminating the need for manual meter readings and enabling accurate billing based on real-time data.
The commission said a single-phase meter will now cost N81,975.16k, instead of the previous price of N58,661.69k. Similarly, the price of a three-phase meter was increased to N143,836.10k from N109,684.36k. According to the NERC, the new charges have taken effect since Wednesday, September 6, 2023.
If both sets of key change tokens are accepted by your meter, then your meter has been successfully upgraded.
Upgrading your prepaid meter in Nigeria is an essential step for maintaining uninterrupted and accurate electricity services. With this guide, you now know how to upgrade your prepaid meter in Nigeria and can enjoy improved features and reliability.
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