Eskom is urging all prepaid electricity customers to update their meters immediately to avoid an unexpected loss of electricity.

This as the November 24 deadline for upgrading of meters is now less than a week away.

The power utility explained that after Sunday, 24 November, meters still using Key Revision Number 1 will no longer accept electricity tokens, rendering the meter inoperable.

This could necessitate a meter replacement that could cost up to R12 000, at the customer’s cost.

Group Executive for Distribution at the power utility, Monde Bala, explained how and why the updating of the meter is required.

“Customers with meters still on KRN1 have likely not purchased electricity for more than six months or might be using unauthorised tokens bought from criminal syndicates.

“To prevent the meter from becoming inoperable, losing power, and incurring replacement costs, it is critical that all customers, including those who have not purchased electricity in the last six months or more, to buy electricity tokens from authorised vendors by 24 November 2024.

“This will provide them with two sets of 20-digit codes needed to recode and update their meters. We started our public awareness campaigns back in August 2023 and we continue to ask users to come forward so we can offer all the help we have available,” Bala said.

How to check and recode your meter

To verify if your meter is ready, use the following steps:

• Enter 1844 6744 0738 4377 2416 on your meter keypad.
• If it shows 1 or 1.2, your meter still needs to be recoded.
• If it shows 2 or 2.2, your meter is already updated and requires no further action.

To complete the recoding:

• 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.

Originally posted on SAnews.gov.za