Eskom on Friday announced a significant technical breakthrough, enabling zero buyers with active electricity meters to update to Key Revision Number 2 (KRN2) compliance beyond the original November 24 deadline, which is this Sunday.
Thanks to a new feature on Eskom's online vending system, Key Change Tokens (KCTs) can now be pre-generated. This allows zero buyers to visit legal vending sites with their meter numbers to purchase electricity and receive their KCTs, enabling their meters to switch to KRN2 mode. However, to activate this feature, the credit purchase must occur before the deadline. Once activated, the final conversion process can be completed at Eskom sites even after the deadline.
The majority of customers have already transitioned from KRN1 to KRN2.
Steps to check and update your meter:
To verify if your meter is KRN2 compliant:
– Enter 1844 6744 0738 4377 2416 on the meter keypad.
– If it displays 1 or 1.2, your meter still requires updating.
– If it displays 2 or 2.2, no further action is needed.
To update:
– Enter the first 20 digits of your recode token.
– Enter the second 20 digits of your recode token.
– Enter the 20-digit token from your most recent electricity purchase to recharge your meter.
For progress updates on the Key Revision Number rollover project, visit the Eskom website.
This update follows Eskom's earlier warnings about the consequences of missing the recoding deadline. On Monday, the utility urged prepaid electricity users to recode their meters or risk replacement costs of up to R12 000. The 6.9 million prepaid meters still using the outdated KRN1 system will no longer accept electricity tokens after November 24, rendering them inoperable once existing credit runs out.
Monde Bala, Eskom’s Group Executive for Distribution, previously noted that customers with KRN1 meters may not have purchased electricity for over six months or could be using unauthorised tokens from illegal vendors. “To avoid losing power and incurring replacement costs, it is critical for all customers to buy electricity tokens from authorised vendors by 24 November 2024,” Bala said.
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