Gone are the times when paying or renewing power bills required a lengthy procedure of queuing at the “NEPA” office. You will discover exactly how to reload a prepaid electricity meter remotely from the convenience of your own home after going through this article.
Since the privatization of the power sector, there have been ripple effects throughout the country. Our pre-paid meter was the center of attention. With the use of these meters, consumers can easily manage their energy consumption while also charging for more units. Your pre-paid meter may be recharged in a variety of ways. A user should have a smart card that allows him or her to load, buy, and trade power credit. This smart card may be set up at any disco office location near you.
After you have completed the setting procedure, you may use your smart card to replenish the electronic energy unit. A 20-digit pin code is used to replenish the energy credit. A precondition is required in order to replenish a prepaid electricity meter online.
- A mobile phone that has access to the internet, a desktop computer or laptop that has an active internet Prepaid meter number (Usually written boldly on the body of your prepaid meter)
- ATM card information for consumers who are unable to transfer (Master/Verve/Visa cards)
- Telephone number (This is where the token will be sent)
- Contact Information through Email
So, now that you are conversant with how to recharge a prepaid electricity meter using the internet even if you don’t possess a bank app, let’s discuss how one can recharge his/her prepaid meter even if they don’t have no bank app.
How To Recharge Your Prepaid Electricity Meter Online
To recharge your prepaid Meter Online, you are best advised to follow the steps below:
Step 1 – Get any internet-enabled device, such as a smartphone, laptop, or desktop computer.
Step 2 – Navigate to www.nepa.ng using your favorite browser.
Step 3 – Choose the power distribution company with whom you are registered (for example, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKDC) Prepaid.)
Step 4 – Then input your meter number.
Step 5 – Enter the Naira value of the power units you want to purchase.
Step 6 – Enter your email address and phone number, then click the submit button.
Step 7 – Enter your credit card information
Step 8 – Confirm your order summary
Step 9 – A token is produced in less than ten seconds.
Step 10 – Directly enter this token into your prepaid or postpaid power meter.
Then your prepaid meter will be reimbursed and the RED-LIGHT indicating low unit immediately turns GREEN. You now know how to recharge a prepaid energy meter online even if you don’t have a bank app.
How To Recharge Your Prepaid Meter Without Light
You can also load your prepaid meter without light. Erratic power supply is as old as Nigeria. 70% of Nigerians usually do not have light when trying to recharge their prepaid meters. This is another section in this article where I will be teaching you how you can recharge your prepaid meter when there is no light.
Follow the steps below to recharge your prepaid meter when there is no light.
Step 1 – Check behind your Prepaid recharging device, you will see a place provided for adding batteries
Step 2 – Buy your 4 batteries (Duracell preferably) it is strong enough to power your device
Step 3 – Fix the batteries at the back of your recharging unit
Step 4 – input the 20 digits token
Step 5 – Press the blue button to send
Step 6 – You will see ‘ACCEPTED’ on the screen of the device.
Isn’t it a piece of cake? This is for those who prefer the internet option without the app. Also, there is the more regular option which most people who are not comfortable with using the internet may adopt. This particular option involves going in person and this is how to go about it;
- The initial step for the consumer is to take their smart card to a dealer or disco office shop in their region.
- Second, the user displays the smart card, which also contains the user’s meter number.
- The agent will credit the user and then provide a slip with a unique 20-digit number and a receipt as evidence of payment.
- Return home and accurately input the 20-digit code on the LCD panel using the UIU keyboard.
- If the token was input successfully, the screen will display “ACCEPT.” This indicates that the recharge was a success.
- If the screen displays “REJECT,” it implies the code was input incorrectly.
If a user does not choose to utilize the 20-digit code, the smart code can still be used to replenish the pre-paid meter by following the procedures outlined below.
- Open the card door of your monitor unit and carefully insert your smart card where your pre-paid meter is placed.
- Always keep the control box charged by connecting it to a power supply.
- After inserting the smart card, a sign similar to this “–” will appear here on LCD panel. This indicates that the prepaid meter and card are in sync.
- To avoid damaging the pre-paid meter, do not remove the smart card once reloading is in progress.
- The user will be alerted on the LCD panel after the unit has been loaded.
Things to keep an eye out for when you’re loading the pre-paid meter.
- Total Credit Unit Used: Dial “07” on the keypad, followed by the blue button; you will receive a response quickly.
- Meter number: If you do not remember your meter number, simply call “65,” then press the blue button, and the meter number will be displayed to the user, which is 11 digits long.
- Balance: To check your prepaid meter balance, press the blue button after dialing “07” on the keypad. Your current balance will be displayed.
We shall also be sharing information on how to settle outstanding debts on your prepaid meter. So assuming you have just packed into a new neighborhood/house only to find out the last tenant left you with a lot of bills to pay, this is how to go about it;
The easiest way is to request for this bill to be spread across a long period of time by writing to the electricity company, as it will not be simply forgotten or wiped off. This way, you can simply pay in bits until you pay off. As annoying as this may sound, this is the best way to go about it, so it doesn’t hit hard on your finances. Example: You can request to pay back 50% every time you recharge and load your electricity code. So if you purchase light worth N20,000, N10,000 worth of the light can be taken off to clear part of the debt while you would be provided electricity worth N10,000.
Most people are only conversant with the likes of AEDC and EEDC, but unknown to a good number of Nigerians, there are so many other electrical distribution companies in Nigeria. Now let’s discuss about all the electricity distribution companies in Nigeria and the areas in which they provide electrical power to.
Nigeria has 11 Power Distribution Companies (DISCOS)
They all play a significant part in our country’s economy. Let we examine them;
Kaduna Distribution Company:
This is a distribution company in Kaduna, Nigeria. This business provides energy to states including Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi. One of the downstream operators is the Kaduna distribution company. The firm has around 490,000 customers. It is ranked as the sixth largest distribution firm in the United States.
Kano Distribution Corporation:
This business was founded in May 2012 as a partnership of five existing Kano state power providers. Jigawa, Kano, and Katsina are served by Kano Electricity Distribution Company.
Yola Distribution Corporation:
This firm serves Taraba, Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states. It is one of Nigeria’s major electricity distributors and in 2013, this firm was formally privatized.
Jos Distribution Company:
This a company that distributes electricity and it serves the states of Benue, Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau. It is one of Nigeria’s largest distribution firms.
Company for Distribution in Abuja:
This firm serves Niger, the Federal Capital Territory, Nassarawa, and Kogi. It is also one of Nigeria’s leading electricity distributors. In November 2013, it was privatized and the Federal Government of Nigeria still owns around 40% of the capital earnings. The overall coverage area of this company is approximately 133,000 square kilometers.
Distribution Company of Ibadan:
This firm serves the states of Oyo, Osun, Kwara and Ogun. The business was founded in November 2013 as part of an effort to unbundle the country’s energy industry. The company has five business centres around Nigeria and it also has a strong strategic collaboration with Meralco Company, one of the Philippines’ major energy distributors.
Eko Distribution Corporation:
It is a minor power provider that serves Lagos, Ogun, and Agbara. The firm is organized into three rings and 10 regions for convenience of operation.
Ikeja Distribution Company:
The Ikeja Company is a distribution company in Nigeria and in November 2013, the firm commenced operations. This company is a significant electricity distributor in Nigeria. It serves about 700,000 consumers with power.
Benin Distribution Company:
This distribution firm serves the states of Delta, Ondo, Edo and Ekiti. The company’s covering area is about 55,770 square kilometers and the corporation operates out of twenty-five business areas around the country. The coverage covers 13 million individuals and more than 4 million businesses.
Distribution Company of Port Harcourt:
This firm serves the states of Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Bayelsa. The company’s aim is to deliver high-quality utility services to Nigerians and more than 14 million consumers will benefit from the company’s efforts to improve service quality.
Enugu Distribution Company:
This is a company that distributes services in Enugu and it serves the states of Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, and Imo. It is the cornerstone for delivering superior energy distribution services in five states.
This list of energy distribution firms in Nigeria includes all of the country’s electrical service providers.
In Conclusion, I believe that after reading through this article you should be able to recharge and load your prepaid meter as well as tell the particular electricity distribution company serving the area in which you reside.
