Most households in Nigeria now use the prepaid electricity meter which has been made available to Nigerians since the privatization of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). Unlike the old meters which are analog, these modern meters are digital and recharged after the current unit of power has been exhausted. There are different types of prepaid meters – the most popular being Mojec and Conlog. These meters have similar ways by which they are recharged
While there are many offline ways of recharging the meter, the rise in technology has led to the continuous improvement in how the meters are being recharged.
Offline Mode of Payment
You can recharge your prepaid meter offline either by paying at the PHCN office near you or through a designated PHCN agent. When you get there, follow these procedures:
- Present your smart card to them or just give them your Meter number (written on the smart card)
- You will be requested to pay for the credits you can afford. If there is an outstanding debt on your Meter, there is a minimum amount you must pay. This is because some amounts will be deducted from what you want to pay. This services your existing debt while the remaining will be alloted to you as the power unit which you can use.
- You will be given the slip containing 20 PHCN prepaid meter codes and a receipt as proof of successful payment.
- When you are home, enter the 20-digit code into your prepaid meter monitor which should be plugged to a source of power or battery. If you correctly enter the token, the screen will display ACCEPT, indicating that you have successfully recharged your prepaid meter.
Online Mode of Payment
You can also recharge your Prepaid meter online by yourself. This process with the help of technology is very fast, convenient and easy.
Through Third-Party Apps
You can recharge using the websites of authorized third-party companies. These include Quickteller, BuyPower.ng, iRecharge, Palmpay, Opay, Baxi, etc. These can be done through their websites or apps.
- When you log in to these sites, you will be asked for details of your account, your electricity provider, amount to pay.
- While some of these sites have wallets that you can load to pay with, others connect you to a payment system like Paystack or have other options. These include bank transfer, USSD, or card payment.
- Once payments have been received, a token will be automatically generated for you, which you will load on the prepaid meter monitor. Once confirmed, you have power through the units that you have bought.
Through PHCN Website
Below are steps you can follow to recharge your prepaid meter online using the PHCN website:
- Log into their website.
- Select your electricity provider from the drop-down menu.
- Choose your meter type – prepaid or postpaid.
- Enter your meter number and double-check it for accuracy.
- Enter the amount of electricity you want to buy.
- To validate your account number, click the “Continue” button.
- If the meter number is valid, you will be redirected to the checkout page, where you can review the customer name and address.
- If everything is in order, proceed to the checkout page and click the “Buy Now” button to make a payment.
- You can pay with your wallet funds, a credit card, or a bank transfer. After successful payment, you will receive your electricity token via SMS or Email.
- This is what you will load into your prepaid meter monitor and the amount of unit will be revealed
Through Mobile Banking Apps
You can use mobile bank applications to recharge your prepaid meter. Most Nigerian banks have made online transactions possible on their platforms.
- Log in to your mobile banking app.
Select the pay electric bill option. Choose the electricity distribution company with which your prepaid meter is registered. - Enter your prepaid meter number and the amount you want to buy.
- Fill in your banking information and confirm with the OTP sent to your phone. Your recharge pin will be sent to your mobile phone in a few seconds.