Cape Town: Eskom has announced the successful completion of its pre-paid meter upgrade project, urging approximately 1.7 million ‘zero buyers’ to upgrade their meters before the looming deadline. The power utility emphasized the importance of this transition to ensure continued electricity supply.
According to South African Government News Agency, Eskom Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane acknowledged the project’s success during a media briefing. The initiative has transformed around 400,000 previous zero buyers into paying customers, providing valuable data to encourage further conversions. This upgrade was necessary as the current STS technology for prepayment meters will soon stop accepting new credit tokens due to the expiration of vending codes.
Eskom revealed that all prepayment meters must be upgraded to the Key Revision Number version 2 (KRN 2) to remain active. With an initial customer base of 6.91 million prepaid users, Eskom has successfully converted all customers to KRN 2. A data cleaning exerc
ise further updated details of 341,000 customers, expanding Eskom’s customer base to 7.25 million. As of 24 November 2024, approximately 5.5 million customers, including 400,000 zero buyers, have transitioned to KRN 2.
Eskom is currently experiencing a reduction in zero buyer numbers to around 1.7 million from a 12-month rolling average of 2.1 million. The utility urged these customers to comply by Friday, 13 December 2024, by visiting the nearest Eskom sites. Paying customers who have upgraded to KRN 2 but face difficulties will receive assistance without penalties through Eskom’s chatbot, Contact Centre, and WhatsApp services.
Zero buyers who purchased electricity before the deadline but could not load their meters are advised to present their slips/tokens at Eskom Hubs for assistance by 13 December 2024. Customers with issues such as lost, bypassed, or tampered meters must also visit Eskom centers for assistance, where tamper fines and meter updates will be addressed.
Eskom encourages customers without
prior electricity purchases to buy tokens before the deadline. Their meters will be audited, and appropriate actions will be taken. Eskom noted a significant increase in zero buyers stepping forward to comply, and the utility remains committed to resolving these issues respectfully and efficiently.
Marokane emphasized Eskom’s commitment to ensuring that all electricity users pay for their consumption, supporting economic growth and reducing taxpayer burdens. The power utility continues to stabilize the system to enhance customer experience throughout this complex process.