Upgrade your prepaid electricity meter BY SUNDAY to avoid R12 000 re-installation
Failure to update your electricity meter will also leave you without electricity because the meter will stop working.
A prepaid electricity meter and an electricity mains unit. Picture: @CityofCT/X
Africa Melane interviews Dr Silas Mulaudzi, an energy specialist at the South African Local Government Association.
Listen below.
Eskom urges all prepaid electricity customers to update the software on their prepaid meters before Sunday (24 November) to avoid losing supply.
Meters using key revision number 1 (KRN1) will no longer accept electricity tokens after Sunday, preventing customers from loading electricity.
The Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, said that the deadline for meter upgrades 'is not extendable, it's a technical issue, and we can't extend it... it's a hard stop on the 24th'.
Failure to re-code meters will also leave those who don't without electricity until a new electricity meter is installed.
The latter might cost South Africans up to R12 000, out of their own pockets.
ALSO READ: Residents urged to upgrade prepaid meters as deadline looms
To verify if your meter needs to be re-coded:
- Enter 1844 6744 0738 4377 2416 on your meter keypad
- If it shows 1 or 1.2, your meter still needs to be re-coded
- If it shows 2 or 2.2, your meter is already updated and requires no further action
To complete the re-coding process customers must purchase credit tokens from authorised vendors.
You will receive two sets of 20-digit codes to enter into the meter then do the following:
- Enter the first 20 digits of your recode token
- Enter the second 20 digits of your recode token
- Finally, enter the 20-digit token from your latest electricity purchase to recharge your meter
Customers needing help can contact Eskom's call centre at 086 00 ESKOM or 086 00 37566.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the discussion.