By Millicent Senava Mannah
The Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) has announced that all electricity consumers must upgrade their prepaid meters before October 30, 2024. This information was shared during a Press Conference held on August 1, 2024, at EDSA’s headquarters on Siaka Stevens Street in Freetown.
The upgrade process, which started on August 1, 2024 and will continue until November 24, 2024, requires consumers to update their meters using new electricity tokens. The existing Standard Transfer Specification (STS) Edition One (1) meters, which use 20-digit tokens, will expire in October 2024. Failure to upgrade will render these meters incompatible with the new system.
Joe-Lahai Sormana, Director General of EDSA, emphasized that this upgrade is a global requirement, not just a national one. He explained that from November 2024, non-upgraded prepaid meters would no longer function.
Upon purchasing the new electricity token, customers will receive a 60-digit number, with separators every 20 digits. The Director General instructed customers to input these numbers in segments of 20 digits, waiting 15 seconds between each segment, until all 60 digits are entered correctly. Successful input will result in a ’02’ or ‘success’ indicator on the meter. He reassured customers that the upgrade process is free of charge.
Deputy Minister of Energy, Eldred Taylor, the keynote speaker at the Press Conference, affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to providing seamless service. He noted that Apator and Momas meters are incompatible with the new tokens and should be replaced. Customers with these types of meters are urged to visit EDSA offices for replacements, according to him.
He informed that during this upgrade period, customers can continue purchasing tokens through telecom platforms such as Qcell, Orange, and Africell, as well as through aggregators like Vendtech, Mercy Holdings and Lynx Solution. EDSA offices are also available for token purchases, he also mentioned.
The Authority urged customers to dedicate 10 minutes to complete the meter upgrade to avoid electricity access issues post-October 30, 2024. Customers experiencing difficulties during the upgrade can contact EDSA at 672/077672672 or via Facebook at [EDSA Salone](http://www.facebook.com/EDSASalone).
