NERC Advises Power Users To Update Their Meters Immediately.

To prevent losing their prepaid meters by November 2024, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has recommended power users around the nation to begin replacing their meters.

Its advise was given at the same time as a power distribution business announced that unupdated prepaid meters would cease to function starting in November of next year, stressing that this was a universal standard for prepaid electricity meters. 

The commission stated, "If you have a prepaid meter, it may be time for an update," in one of its most recent tweets on X (previously Twitter), which was seen on Wednesday. You might not be able to recharge your meter starting in November 2024. But updating is simple and cost-free.

Two free Key Change Tokens will be given you by "Discos" (distribution businesses) to update your meter. The update won't change the units in your meter, and it won't make it run quicker than usual either. For further information, speak with your Disco.

In the meantime, Kaduna Electric recently posted a two-minute video in which it described how consumers may upgrade their prepaid meters to prevent losing the meters in the future.

The Head of Non-Maximum Demand Metering at Kaduna Electric, Umar Gumel, was quoted as saying in the Disco's snapshot: "This is to alert you of one worldwide development about prepaid meters, not in Kaduna Electric alone or in Nigeria alone, but a worldwide concern.

By November 2024, conventional STS (conventional Transfer Specification) meters will incorporate what's known as Roll Over. Therefore, before that date, every meter needs to be modified to a specific standard value.

"If the upgrade token is not received, any meter will stop working by November 2024. The inference is that the meter will never function and will never be used, making it useless.

Gumel continued by saying, "A three-phase meter currently costs N118,000, while a single phase costs N63,000." So that you may understand the enormous loss that would result. 

In order to obtain the rollover token, he said, electricity users inside the Kaduna Electric franchise zones must approach any of the Disco's cash offices and show cooperation and understanding.

It will be given to you in the same manner that you buy your electricity token. It will be entered in the same manner as your electricity token. Additionally, the meter will automatically improve itself after accepting the token. 

How about my old token in the meter? These are two important questions that I want to draw your attention to. It won't be moved; it will stay in place. What about the meter's speed? No change will be made; it will remain unchanged forever.

To prevent rollover consequences, only the meter programming system would be changed, the Kaduna Electric representative said in the video.