The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) Plc. has announced the upcoming upgrade of its Standard Transfer Specification (STS) prepaid meters to enhance efficiency that aligns with global standards.

The upgrade known as Token Identification (TID) Rollover aims to ensure the seamless operation of prepaid meters while maintaining customer satisfaction.

The managing director of IBEDC, Kingsley Achife, disclosed in a statement on Wednesday in Ibadan that the upgrade would take effect on August 1.

Mr Achife added that the upgrade would involve the 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 November 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.

According to him, the KCT serves as a special reset token and is crucial for completing 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 August 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 meters,“ he said.

(NAN)