South Africans face a major deadline today updating their prepaid electricity meters. If you have not yet extended the functionality of your prepaid electricity meter, you risk being unable to recharge it. Here’s what you need to know and how to ensure you stay connected.
What Is Happening?
The deadline for updating prepaid electricity meters is today. This change is part of a national system upgrade to ensure the ongoing functionality of prepaid meters. If your meter isn’t updated, it may stop working, preventing you from buying or loading electricity tokens.
Why Is This Necessary?
The upgrade addresses an issue known as the Token Identifier (TID) Rollover, a technical problem that will affect meters globally. South Africa is proactively updating its systems to ensure uninterrupted electricity for its citizens. You can read more about the TID Rollover issue in this guide from Eskom.
What Should You Do?
If you haven’t updated your meter yet:
- Check Your Meter Status: Visit your local municipal office or utility provider’s website. For example, City Power Johannesburg provides instructions on their official site.
- Request an Update Code: Contact your electricity provider to get the necessary code to update your meter.
- Load the Code Into Your Meter: Follow the instructions provided by your utility company or refer to this step-by-step video tutorial.
What Happens If You Miss the Deadline?
If your meter isn’t updated in time, you won’t be able to load electricity tokens. However, Eskom has urged its customers to buy electricity tokens update their prepaid meter boxes. This will allow them an extension to today’s deadline. People can still fix this issue by contacting Eskom customer service and following their process for late updates. Additional fees may apply in some areas.
In South Africa, electricity distribution is managed by Eskom, the state-owned utility, alongside various municipal providers across the nine provinces. Below is an overview of electricity providers in each province, including their official websites:
1. Gauteng:
- Eskom: Supplies electricity directly to certain areas. Eskom
- Municipalities:
- City of Johannesburg (City Power): City Power
- City of Tshwane: City of Tshwane
- Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality: Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality
2. KwaZulu-Natal:
- Eskom: Provides electricity to various regions. Eskom
- Municipalities:
- eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality: eThekwini Municipality
- Msunduzi Municipality: Msunduzi Municipality
3. Western Cape:
- Eskom: Services certain areas. Eskom
- Municipalities:
- City of Cape Town: City of Cape Town
- Stellenbosch Municipality: Stellenbosch Municipality
4. Eastern Cape:
- Eskom: Main electricity supplier in many areas. Eskom
- Municipalities:
- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality: Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality: Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
5. Free State:
- Eskom: Predominant electricity provider. Eskom
- Municipalities:
- Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality: Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality
6. Limpopo:
- Eskom: Major electricity distributor. Eskom
- Municipalities:
- Polokwane Municipality: Polokwane Municipality
7. Mpumalanga:
- Eskom: Supplies electricity to most areas. Eskom
- Municipalities:
- Mbombela Municipality: Mbombela Municipality
8. North West:
- Eskom: Primary electricity supplier. Eskom
- Municipalities:
- Rustenburg Local Municipality: Rustenburg Local Municipality
9. Northern Cape:
- Eskom: Main provider of electricity. Eskom
- Municipalities:
- Sol Plaatje Municipality: Sol Plaatje Municipality
Please note that the specific areas served by Eskom and municipal providers can vary within each province.
Helpful Links
- Eskom’s Prepaid Meter Update Information: Click here.
- General FAQ on Prepaid Meters: Read more here.
