NERC orders prepaid meters users to update

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has threatened prepaid meter users with update of their meters, saying they may not be able to recharge after November 2024.

NERC emphasised that the updating is easy and free. “DisCos shall commence issuance of two free Key Change Tokens (KCTs) which will update your meter, the Commission declared.

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NERC in a statement, asserted: “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 two 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.”

There has been disquiet since the DISCOs announced plans to increase electricity tariff in the country. The decision was rejected by the House of Representatives. The members had argued that no further price increase should be done to increase the hardship Nigerians are going through since the increase in the price of petrol after subsidy removal.

The DISCOs, thereafter, threatened that if they were not allowed to increase electricity tariff, they would upgrade the meters to reflect updated price.

Meanwhile, the directive by NERC on pre-paid meters users to update before November 2024 may generate suspicion of indirect way to increase electricity tariff secretly through the update, as an alternative to outright increase which was openly resisted.

Though, NERC assured that the update would not alter the units in the meters, the commission could not guarantee if the update would not reflect increase in electricity tariff.  Meanwhile, the update is planned for over one year, but with a threat of inability to recharge if not done before then.