‘No extension’ for Eskom pre-paid recoding - Ramokgopa
Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has warned that the pre-paid meter recode deadline cannot be extended.
Ramokgopa has warned customers who still need to update their meters to the new Eskom Key Revision Number that they will not be able to load electricity tokens after Sunday’s deadline.
Speaking on Wednesday, Ramokgopa said the need to recode the system is a technical issue that cannot be pushed back.
"It’s a hard stop—the 24th [of November]. If you have not re-coded, then you are sitting with a different problem. So, if you replenish your units based on the obsolete system, then you cannot load them, and you are sitting with another problem. Now, when we recode, there is no need for us to substitute the meter. Beyond the 24th, we have to physically remove the meter and that comes at a cost."
The minister said 6.9 million meters have already been successfully recoded - leaving over 2 million that still need to be migrated before Sunday.
Eskom says it will cost customers R12,000 to replace their meters if their current unit stops working due to not having been recoded.
Customers can follow the recoding instructions below from the Eskom website:
How to Check and Recode Your Meter
To verify if your meter is ready:
• 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.
Please refer to the dashboard on the Eskom website for the updated figures of the Eskom Key Revision Number rollover project progress: Key Revision Number – Distribution (eskom.co.za)
