127 000 prepaid meters in Tshwane still need upgrade before next week

The deadline for prepaid electricity users to upgrade their meters is less than a week away.

From midnight on 24 November, prepaid meters that have not been recoded will not be able to accept new tokens.

The upgrade allows the meter to accept new Key Revision Number 2 (KRN2) tokens, as well as remote monitoring features.

127 000 still to be upgraded in Tshwane

The City of Tshwane stated on 18 November that it has a compliment of 357 155 prepaid meters registered on their system, but only 230 032 were reflecting KRN2 tokens.

The upgrade requires the loading of two 20-digit codes and can be done manually by the customer in their own homes.

“I am urgently calling on 127 123 prepaid electricity meter customers to ensure that their meters are converted to KRN2 compliance by 24 November,” stated Tshwane MMC for Utility Services Frans Boshielo.

ALSO READ: How to verify your prepaid electricity meter: Converting from KRN1 to KRN2

Old KRN1 codes will not be accepted from 25 November and customers who still have unloaded token vouchers must load those by Sunday.

“I urgently encourage customers to visit the City’s customer care centres and seek assistance if they are struggling with the conversion,” added Boshielo.

How to check and upgrade prepaid meter

Eskom reminded their 6.9 million prepaid customers not to miss the deadline, warning that it will be expensive to reconnect.

Should a meter not be upgraded, the remaining credits on the meter will be consumed as usual, but no recharging will be possible if the KRN2 code has not been typed in before 24 November.

“Once your current credit is depleted, you will lose power, and the meter will become inoperable, necessitating a meter replacement that could cost up to R12 000,” Eskom confirmed on Monday.

To verify if your meter has been upgraded to KRN2:

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

To complete the recoding upgrade:

• Enter the first 20 digits of your recode token obtainable from your usual electricity vendor
• Enter the second 20 digits of your recode token
• Lastly, enter the 20-digit token from your latest electricity purchase to recharge your meter.

Additional information on the KRN2 upgrade can be found on the Eskom website.

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