Eskom recently implemented a crucial recoding program for prepaid electricity meters across South Africa. This initiative aimed to ensure all meters are compatible with the latest security and operational standards, effectively eliminating “zero buyers” – customers who were buying electricity from unauthorised dealers. Zero buyers represent theft from Eskom, a situation that the utility claims has aggravated the power challenges that the country has been facing. This article outlines how to check if your prepaid electricity meter has been upgraded;
How to Check if Your Meter Has Been Upgraded
The following is how you can confirm whether or not your prepaid meter has been recoded to the KRN2 protocol;
- Confirm recoding using your meter: You can check whether or not your meter has already been recoded in the following way;
- Enter the following code on your meter’s keypad: 1844 6744 0738 4377 2416
- Observe the Display:
- If the display shows “1” or “1.2”, your meter needs to be recoded. Go to the section below where we talk about what you need to do to get it done quickly and easily.
- If the display shows “2” or “2.2”, your meter has already been upgraded to KRN2.
- Check with Your Electricity Vendor:
- Another option for South Africans looking to confirm that their meters has been upgraded to the latest ESKOM protocol is to get in touch with their local electricity vendor or with Eskom directly. They will tell you whether or not recoding has already been done.
What to Do if Your Meter Needs Recoding
Let’s say you have check and determined that your meter still needs to be upgraded. What do you do in that case? The following are the steps that you should take;
- Contact Eskom or your municipality: If your meter requires recoding, contact Eskom through their official channels (website, phone, or visit a local Eskom office) for guidance and assistance.
- Recoding Process: Eskom will provide you with two 20-digit “key change” tokens. You will need to enter these tokens into your meter in the specified order to complete the recoding process.
Why is Meter Recoding Important?
The recoding program is essential for the continued reliable and secure operation of the electricity grid. We have shown you how to check if your prepaid electricity meter has been upgraded or recoded. By upgrading meters to the latest KRN2 standard, Eskom aims to:
- Combat Electricity Theft: Prevent fraudulent activities that result in revenue losses for Eskom. ENCA previously reported that over a million ESKOM customers remain zero buyers. That means they are using electricity without pay. It could also mean they are buying tokens from unauthorized dealers. According to Eskom, the recoding exercise saw around 400000 zero buyers getting onto the system. All this is meant to combat electricity theft, which reduces the utility’s effectiveness.
- Enhance Security: Strengthen the security of the electricity distribution system and protect consumers from potential risks.
- Improve Service Delivery: Ensure the smooth and uninterrupted supply of electricity to all prepaid customers. The past few months have seen loadshedding going away. That came after years of power cuts across South Africa. When people refuse to pay for electricity, it put’s ESKOM in a difficult position. As such, every South African needs to do their part to ensure that the utility capacitated.