In Nigeria today, 3 out of every ten homes are already using the digital power consumption calculation device, also called the Prepaid Meter.
It is also stale news that payment of bills, which include PHCN prepaid meter doesn’t necessarily have to be accompanied by the stress and fatigue of queuing up at the bank, as there are always better and faster ways of getting things done.
Recharging your prepaid meter would contrary to popular assumption, not necessarily require you visit the PHCN office but if you’re wondering if there are different recharge options available, then the answer is “Yes”. Quickly,
below are a few ways you can get recharge credit units on your meter and avoid interruption in your power supply.
How to Recharge Prepaid Meter Online at Home ( PHCN )
- How to Recharge Prepaid Meter Using Smart Card: Recharging with your smart card would first require you take it to any close-by power holding company of Nigeria (PHCN) office for configuration. Once configured, your smart card or recharge card can be used to recharge your prepaid meter but it would require you go to their office to purchase a 12-digit PIN.
- How to Recharge Prepaid Meter Using PIN Codes: This option would require you visiting any PHCN outlet closest to you and purchasing credits. You would then have to load the purchased credit into your Electronic energy prepayment meter using the PIN codes. You could also visit any authorized sales outlet in Nigeria to make your purchase. Below is how
– Go to any dealer outlets or disco offices close to you with your smart card.
– Present them with your card which carries your meter number
– Request for the credits you can afford
– Your account will be credited by the agent and you would be given a slip containing a 20 digit code along with your receipt.
– When you get home, enter the 20 digit code through the UIU Keyboard. Observe the UIU LCD screen as you type to ensure you’re entering the correct digits
– If the token you have entered is correct, the screen will show “ACCEPT” which means that the recharge is successful. However, if the screen displays “REJECT”, this means the code isn’t accepted and the recharge FAILED. A “REJECT” sign may mean that you have entered a wrong or invalid recharge code. - How to Purchasing Your Prepaid Meter PIN online:
- Connect your phone or laptop or any other internet enabled the device to the internet.
- Log on to your bank’s official website or launch the mobile app.
- Log in to your account with your username and password.
- Select the “Pay Bills” option.
- Select PHCN.
- Enter the amount you’re purchasing, your meter number, and every other necessary detail. If you’re not sure and what your meter number is and you’re not around your meter, have someone check it. Don’t assume.
- Enter any Online Transaction Password (OTP) necessary.
- Confirm the transaction and enter the correct number on your online transaction token.
After making payment, you should receive a confirming e-mail or a text message or both, if your transaction is successful. The meter token will be emailed to your email address and/or phone number. You can then use the token to load it to your prepaid meter.
Paying for your prepaid meter online normally takes less than 7 minutes, and logically, this is the more convenient option. It is definitely more convenient than going out to buy meter token at their office or banks.
Once you have your PIN code, you can go ahead and load it into your Electronic energy prepayment unit (prepaid meter). To load it, open the card door of your monitor unit and insert your meter smart card.
Enter the PIN code using the keypad on your monitor unit. After entering the PIN code hit the “enter” button. You can edit the PIN code if you make any mistakes using the delete and navigation keys.
How to Check Prepaid Meter Balance
If you want to check your balance, you can press “07” on the keypad and then press the blue button. The available balance will be displayed in this format. (102.12).
Also, to check the total credit used, press 07 on the keypad then the blue button, then wait for the reply to be displayed as shown above.
