Umeme Limited, the primary electricity distributor, has initiated a project to upgrade all prepaid electricity vending and metering systems.
The goal is to meet global metering standards by the November 2024 deadline. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development recently announced that the current Yaka meters will cease dispensing electricity in November unless upgraded to align with the new vending system.
Umeme aims to enhance the customer vending experience, improve system security, and ensure proper electricity token recognition through this project.
The upgrade will be executed by Umeme staff and, when possible, through customer self-service. The company plans to implement the project on an area or district-based approach to minimize service disruptions, keeping customers informed in advance.
Customers scheduled for the upgrade will receive SMS notifications containing three tokens to input into the Yaka meter. A confirmation message will appear upon successful token loading. This aligns with the global shift to the Standard Transfer Specification (STS)2 Token Identifier (TID) standards for prepayment electricity vending and metering systems.
STS is the global standard for transferring electricity and utility prepayment tokens, ensuring compatibility among components from different manufacturers.
The initiative promises increased efficiency and security, providing customers with reliable and modern services.
The Token Identifier (TID) is a 24-bit field in compliant tokens, identifying the token’s generation date and time, contributing to enhanced security. Umeme emphasizes that the upgrade will benefit customers by improving their vending experience and securing Yaka tokens during and after purchase.
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