Don’t know how to recharge your prepaid meter? Here is a step-by-step guide on how to recharge from any mobile app and input the token on the prepaid meter . Please read carefully.
The introduction of prepaid in Nigeria has made life easier for everyone.
Before now, with little or no electricity, there was always a huge bill coming at the end of every month, which was always a worry for most people because they found it difficult to pay, and this led to having their lights disconnected by NEPA officials.
The prepaid meter has done one good thing by giving people control of the amount of electricity they can pay for, which has also stopped the huge and outrageous bills and the embarrassment of having their light disconnected by PHCN officials.
Things became a lot easier when mobile banking apps made it possible to recharge the prepaid, allowing people to do it from the comfort of their home or anywhere they are, saving them the stress of visiting PHCN offices when the prepaid token finishes.
With all this benefit, some people find it difficult to do this themselves, and sometimes when the prepaid goes off at night, they have to bear with sleeping in the heat and wait till morning to recharge it again.
In this article, I will be giving a step-by-step guide on how to recharge the prepaid from any popular mobile app so that you can be able to do that easily on your own at any time, even in the middle of the night. So let’s get right into it.
WHAT IS A PREPAID METER?
A prepaid meter is a device introduced in Nigeria when private companies took over the distribution of electricity. It allows people to pay for the amount of electricity they want to use.
The prepaid meter works like network providers like MTN, GLO, AIRTEL, and others; you have to recharge before you can use them.
The prepaid meter was brought into Nigeria to stop the excess bills that were given to people because these bills were not being paid and also to stop the illegal use of electricity.
The staff of the distributing company (Disco) brings and properly installs the prepaid meter. It includes a dial pad and a card with the meter number on it, which activates and recharges the prepaid meter.
There are two indicators that are important to take note of on the prepaid meter dial pad. Firstly, the green light indicates that there is enough power available for use at that time, while the second, the red light, also beeps to signal that the prepaid needs recharging.
WHAT YOU NEED TO RECHARGE THE PREPAID METER
There are many ways to recharge the prepaid meter, but for this article, we will focus on the mobile banking app because almost everyone in Nigeria uses it.
To recharge the prepaid, you need the following:
- Your smartphone
- Bank mobile app
- Internet connection (data)
- Prepaid meter number( the number is on the card that came with the prepaid meter and the dial pad).
HOW TO BUY PREPAID METER ONLINE FROM YOUR MOBILE APP
Here is a guide on how to buy prepaid from some of the popular online mobile apps. If the mobile app you use is not listed here, not to worry; the difference is not much; they are almost the same, so you can also follow the process:
HOW TO BUY PREPAID FROM THE KUDA MOBILE APP
- Open your KUDA mobile app.
- Locate Pay on the dashboard and click on it.
- Click on electricity.
- Choose the electricity provider in your state or region. (If you do not know, check the previous bill slip you have.)
- Select the prepaid package because that is what you want to buy for your prepaid meter.
- Put in the number on the prepaid meter card and how many meters you want to buy.
- Click on Pay and type your transaction PIN to complete the payment.
Once this is done, a meter token will be sent to the phone number or email linked to the app. The meter token consists of 20 numbers. It can be more or less depending on the meter-distributing company in your locality.
HOW TO BUY PREPAID FROM THE OPAY MOBILE APP
- Open the OPAY mobile app on your phone.
- Locate and click on ‘MORE’ on the dashboard.
- Click on Electricity.
- Choose your electricity provider.
- Select the prepaid package because that is what you want to buy for your prepaid meter.
- Enter the number on the prepaid meter card and confirm the name displayed on the prepaid.
- Select or enter the amount you want to buy.
- Click on Pay and type your transaction PIN to complete the payment.
A prepaid token will be displayed on the screen and also sent to the phone number and email connected to your OPAY account.
HOW TO BUY PREPAID FROM THE GTBANK MOBILE APP
- Open your GTBANK mobile app.
- Select payment on the dashboard.
- Locate and click on electricity and water.
- Choose from the list the electricity provided at your place.
- Choose the product you want to buy.
- Enter the meter number on the prepaid meter card.
- On Meter type, select prepaid and click on proceed.
- Confirm the details and click submit.
- Put in your transaction pin to complete the payment transaction.
GTBank will send a prepaid token to the phone number and email connected to your OPAY account.
HOW TO BUY PREPAID FROM THE ACCESS BANK MOBILE APP
- Open the Access Bank mobile app.
- Locate and click on Bill Payment on the dashboard.
- Click on the category and select utility.
- Click on Biller and select the electricity provider in your area.
- Click on the product and select prepaid attached to the distribution company’s name.
- Put in the amount of prepaid you want to buy and also the prepaid meter, and confirm the name displayed if it is correct.
- Click on Pay and enter your transaction pin to complete the payment.
From the processes stated for each mobile app, you can see that there is just a slight difference; the same is applicable to every other mobile banking app in Nigeria. Once this is done, the next step is to put in the token received from the mobile app on the prepaid.
HOW TO INPUT THE PREPAID TOKEN ON THE PREPAID METER
Inputting the token is very easy, and sometimes the token comes with a bonus token, which is a good thing because it means an extra unit.
To put in the token, do the following:
- If the prepaid has gone off and you are doing this in the middle of the night, make sure you have a good battery at home.
- Put the battery at the back of the prepaid and wait for it to come up and connect.
- If the prepaid token came with a bonus token, enter the bonus token first, click on the red button, and wait for the light to come up.
- Repeat the same process for the prepaid token.
- If there is no bonus token, just enter the prepaid token and click on the red button.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
Is the process for buying prepaid the same for all online mobile apps?
Yes, they are all the same, just with a slight difference. With the help of those listed in the article, you can use any mobile app to buy a prepaid token.
Do I get charged extra money for using the online mobile app?
Some of the mobile apps charge you 100 naira for any amount of token, while for others, it is free.
Which online mobile app is the best for prepaid recharge?
All the mobile apps are good. Just look for the one you prefer.
Is it necessary to have an internet connection to use the mobile app?
Yes, you need internet (data) to access the mobile app; without that, the app will not open.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I need internet connection to use my mobile app?
Yes, You need data and internet connection for the app to work
How much Prepaid meter token can I buy?
The minimum prepaid meter token you can buy is 1,000 naira
what does the red indicator light signifies?
It means that you do not have enough electricity to use and you should recharge
Which mobile app can I use for the purchase of the prepaid token?
Any Bank mobile app can be used and the process is very simple
In conclusion
Prepaid meters have eased the burden of paying huge electricity bills every month, and the use of an online mobile app to pay for any amount of your choice has really been a game changer. Knowing the step-by-step guide on how to recharge a prepaid meter will help you greatly, especially when the unit on the prepaid meter finishes in the middle of the night.
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