All you need to know about prepaid meter

The electricity distribution companies (Discos) have continued to help houses get metered to reduce cases of estimated and overbilling.

Therefore, it is important that you are given enough information about the prepaid meter that is about to be installed in your apartment. Many have the meter but doesn’t understand the necessary thing they need to know about them. For instance, many, especially the rural areas, don’t know how to recharge or even check the remaining power usage and well the usage.

This is why those without the knowledge experience blackout once their unit has been exhausted. To avoid such a situation, they would have checked ahead to know the units consumed and what is left to figure out how to plan for the purchase of units.

Due to the current deliberations in the House of Representatives of Nigeria, there would discuss the tariff charge. Since the House had mandated the National Electric Regulatory Commission (NERC) to hold on concerning the planned tariff, the subject remains under deliberation. Because of that, the current tariff plan for residents is the Residential Tariff Plan (RTP).

However, the Discos went on to effect the increment by changing it to Bands. So, depending on the hours of light being provided determines the band you are put on. For instance, the residents in the Onipan area of Mushin Local Government are under Band C with a tariff of 39.94 per unit.

How to recharge prepaid and postpaid meter

There have been several complaints from customers using prepaid meters about the challenges they were facing recharging once their unit is exhausted.

For instance, this has made the Discos (for example, the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company) create a page for such purpose, which is even available to both postpaid and prepaid meter users. To do this, visit https://ie-payments.com/, where a page opens for you to enter our information if you want to pay online.

The confirm payment page on IKEDC website (pics: IKEDC)

With this type of payment, be assured that your data is secured because the websites have been fortified with several security protocols that will bounce off any form of hacking.
You will be asked the following information:
Payment Type,
Payment Method
Account/Meter Number
Amount
Email
Phone

Once you supply this, you click on the submit button; you will be directed to the confirm page, where your information will be reviewed before clicking for confirmation. You will be directed to the Interswitch page, where you will be obliged to submit your debit card information. After clicking on the submit button, an OTP is sent to your email address and phone number to confirm the payment. Once the number asked tallied, your account is debited while your meter account is credited in the case for prepaid. But in the case of postpaid, you already know that you are paying a debt for the power you have used in the previous months.

But for those, who are afraid of releasing their card information on the internet, you can visit any payment outlet (there are many around). They ask for the above information and enter them. They usually charge an extra N100 for such service. You will also be provided with a receipt which is usually stapled under your meter as evidence when the staff of the Discos come to know if you are updating your account.

It is believed that with time, this will be an old practice as statements are expected to be compiled to see your account status, which will specify how you have been recharging your prepaid meter.

Once the recharge has been paid for, it is expected to be effected on your meter (prepaid). So, all you need to monitor is to use the device given to you to check the units you have purchased with the amount. That will be a guide for you, especially if you just began using the meter.

How to check the consumption of your unit on a prepaid meter

This is the main topic of this subject. The prepaid meters usually come with monitors that show the status of the units. It has three light signals that indicate your credit status; Red for the low unit, yellow for about too low, while green is for okay.

So once you see the red light blinking on your prepaid, you already know that it calls your attention to recharge to avoid blackout while others enjoy the power when available. When such a situation occurs, go and check your monitor to know the units left and recharge.

The green signal here shows that the credit status is okay

The new monitors have even made things easy—they are in the form of plug and play. You don’t need to press anything. The monitor will indicate the units consumed and what is left.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *