The arrival of prepaid meters brought huge relief to many Nigerians tired of paying high electricity bills. Prepaid meters are great because you pay only for the electricity you use. You do this by using a token or a key card. For tokenized meters, you add electricity by entering a 20-digit number, and then it gives you the amount of electricity you paid for.
There are various advantages to using prepaid meters:
- Paying for the exact amount: Prepaid meters provide the convenience of paying for the exact amount of electricity that you actually use. Unlike traditional billing methods that often result in estimated charges, prepaid meters put you in direct control of your electricity expenses.
- Managing your budget: Opting for a prepaid meter grants you control in determining your electricity expenses. This allows you manage your electricity budget. It gives a predictable approach to your electricity costs.
- Controlling electricity usage: When you control your budget, it changes how much electricity you use. With a prepaid meter, you can choose when to use less power and when not to. And you can also watch how much electricity you’re using.
- Easy recharging: Using prepaid meters brings another benefit; the ease of recharging. Recharging your electricity is super easy. You can buy or add more electricity online, right over the internet. Mobile apps like Cardvest makes it very easy to recharge your meter.
Recharging PHCN Meter Online
You can recharge your prepaid meter in various ways.
VTU.NG
- Visit https://vtu.ng/topup/electricity/
- Select your electricity company, meter type, and enter your meter number. Presently, Nigeria has eleven local distribution companies; Abuja Electricity Distribution Company plc, Benin Electricity Distribution Company plc, Eko Electricity Distribution Company plc, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company plc, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company plc, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company plc, Jos Electricity Distribution Company plc, Kano Electricity Distribution Company plc, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company plc, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company plc and Yola Electricity Distribution Company plc.
- Put in the amount you want to buy. You must buy at least ₦1,000 and you can buy up to ₦100,000 per transaction.
- Tap the “Continue” button to make sure your meter number is correct. If it is, you’ll go to the checkout page where you can see the customer name and address.
- On the checkout page, press the “Buy Now” button to pay. You can pay using your card or bank transfer.
When your payment goes through, you’ll get your electricity unit token by SMS, Email, API response, and on the order page.
CardVest
To get started, follow these simple steps:
- Visit your app store and download Cardvest mobile app.
- Open the app and sign up if you’re new or log in if you already have an account.
- After logging in, you’ll be directed to your dashboard. Look for the “More” icon.
- Within the “More” section, select the “Electricity” option.
- Pick your electricity provider from the list. Enter your mobile number and meter number correctly.
- Select the type of meter you have from the available options.
- Enter the amount you want to buy, and then click the “Buy Electricity” button to proceed.
- The specified amount will be deducted from your Cardvest wallet.
Quickteller
Here are the steps to recharge your prepaid meter using Quickteller:
- Go to the Quickteller website using your internet browser.
- Select your electricity distribution company. Fill in the required information. This includes your meter number, email address, mobile number, a one-time password (OTP), and the amount you want to pay.
- Double-check the details you’ve entered, especially the amount, and then click “Continue.” Note that there might be a small transaction fee for this service.
- Enter your card details for payment. You’ll be directed to a web-pay page where you can use your e-wallet or debit card.
- Review the payment details once more and confirm the payment. Quickteller will send an OTP to your phone for added security.
- Once the process is complete, a message indicating successful payment will appear at the top of the page. You’ll also receive a recharge pin code on the same page.
- Enter the received recharge pin code into your prepaid meter to complete the recharge.
Mobile Banking App
You have the option to recharge your PHCN meter online using your mobile banking app. Follow these steps:
- Open your mobile banking app. Make sure you’re connected to the internet.
- Once you’re logged in, find the section or option for bill payments. This might be labeled as “Bill Payment,” “Utilities,” or something similar.
- Look for the option to select your electricity provider. This could be listed under “Service Providers” or a similar category.
- Enter your PHCN meter number accurately.
- Specify the amount you want to recharge. Some apps might also show you options like “Prepaid” or “Postpaid” – make sure to choose the appropriate one.
- Double-check the details you’ve entered to make sure they’re correct. This includes the meter number and the recharge amount.
- Once you’re satisfied with the details, confirm the payment. This might involve entering your PIN or using biometric authentication, depending on your security settings.
- After the payment is successfully processed, you’ll receive a confirmation message on your mobile banking app and, if set up, via SMS or email.
- The payment might take a short while to process. Once it’s done, your PHCN meter will be recharged with the amount you specified.
