By Wilson Adekumola
The Managing Director of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc. Mr Kingsley Achife, has announced upcoming upgrade of its Standard Transfer Specification prepaid meters to boost efficiency that aligns with global standards.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Achife made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, adding that the upgrade known as Token Identification Rollover aims to ensure continued seamless operation of prepaid meters while maintaining customer satisfaction.
He said the upgrade would take effect from Aug 1.
Achife stressed further that the upgrade would involve integration of a global software update into STS meters, making them compatible with the new TID Rollover protocol.
“This upgrade is imperative as, starting from Nov. 24, 2024, all STS meters worldwide will cease to accept old credit tokens without the necessary meter upgrade.
“To facilitate a smooth transition, IBEDC will provide its prepaid meter customers with Key Change Tokens (KCT) alongside their regular energy tokens when purchasing electricity,” he said.
The IBEDC Managing Director, said the KCT serves as a special reset token and is significant to the successful completion of the meter upgrade process.
“Obtaining the KCT is free, and customers can upgrade their meters without any impact on the current electricity tariff,” he said.
He added that customers must take note of some important details during the mandatory upgrade period.
“Customers must upgrade their prepaid meters by sequentially entering the two KCT tokens (KCT 1 and KCT 2) and then the energy token, as provided by IBEDC.
“Effective from Aug. 1, 2023, old credit tokens will become obsolete. Customers must ensure that any unused or previously purchased energy tokens are loaded into their meters before this date.
“On credit balance preservation, the meter upgrade process will not affect the credit unit balance on the meter.
“Customers can rest assured that their balance will remain intact after the upgrade.
“The meter upgrade is a one-time process. Subsequent energy token purchases will continue as usual after the upgrade has been completed, “he said.
While assuring of IBEDC’s commitment to supporting its customers throughout the transition, Achife maintained that its field officers would be available to assist customers and monitor compliance.
“If a meter fails to load energy tokens following the KCT upgrade, customers are advised to promptly contact our customer care at 07001239999, email us at [email protected] or send messages to WhatsApp number 07059093900.
“Customers are also encouraged to visit the dedicated IBEDC webpage – ibedc.com/tid-rollover-https://www.tidrollover.com – to access comprehensive information and step-by-step instructions for upgrading their meters,” he said.
