NERC urges prepaid meter users to update before 2024

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said that prepaid meter users in the country should update their meters before November 24, 2024.

The Commission made this announcement via its Twitter handle during the week.

According to NERC, all prepaid meter users should get in touch with their respective distribution companies (DisCos) on the upgrade process. A part of the announcement read: “If you have a prepaid meter, it may be time for an update. From November 2024, you may not be able to recharge your meter.

“However, updating is easy and free. DisCos shall commence issuance of 2 free Key Change Tokens (KCTs) 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.”

The required update is referenced on Conlog’s website, one of the meter asset providers, licensed by NERC. According to Conlog, each credit token has a unique token identifier (TID) encoded into the 20 digits to prevent token replay at the meter.

The TID is referenced to a base date of 1993 and will run out by November 2024, so users need to upgrade before that date to keep using their prepaid meters.

According to Conlog, the technical remedy is to reset each meter to reference a new base date by means of entering two special tokens before 24 November 2024.

It is important to note that customers will get a key change token from their respective DisCos or their agents at the point of purchase of a token alongside the purchased energy tokens and will only need to use the token once and subsequent energy purchases will be as usual.

Meanwhile, information from BuyPower, a key change token is a set of two 20-digit numbers that you can enter when your prepaid meter continuously rejects your token due to a change in your tariff plan.

BuyPower explained further that a key change token is quite similar to the normal electricity recharge token that users are familiar with, however, they function differently. While the electricity recharge token loads your meter with the amount you purchased, the key change token helps to set your meter’s configuration to fit into a tariff change, key revision number, or supply group.

After the key change tokens have been put in successfully, your meter will then accept electricity recharge tokens.