Durban’s ethekwini prepaid electricity crisis explained: what you need to know about the TID rollover and updated meters

Lately, if you walk around Durban or check social media, everyone is talking about ethekwini prepaid electricity because thousands of residents are panicking about their meters stopping at any moment. The main reason this is trending is the massive project by the eThekwini Municipality to update all prepaid meters before they expire due to a global technical issue known as the TID rollover, which has left many people confused, struggling to load their units, or facing unexpected service charges on their receipts.

Everything you need to know about the current situation

• What is happening: The eThekwini Municipality is rushing to finish the Token Identifier (TID) rollover, which is basically a software update for prepaid meters so they don’t stop working.
• The big deadline: Most of these updates were supposed to be finished by late 2024, but many residents in areas like Umlazi, Phoenix, and Chatsworth are still finding themselves stuck with old systems.
• The people involved: The Mayor of eThekwini and the electricity department officials are the ones pushing this, telling everyone that if you don’t update, your meter will simply refuse to accept any new tokens you buy.
• The vendor problem: Many people are complaining that when they buy electricity from the bank or local shops, they are not getting the extra “key change” codes they need to fix their meters.
• The money issue: There is a lot of anger because some residents are seeing “service fees” or “fixed charges” being deducted from their ethekwini prepaid electricity purchases, leaving them with fewer units than before.
• The places affected: This is happening all across the eThekwini Metropolitan area, affecting both residential homes and small businesses that rely on prepaid power to keep their doors open.

A full look at the ethekwini prepaid electricity crisis

The whole reason why ethekwini prepaid electricity is the talk of the town is because of a technical problem that happens once every 30 years. Old prepaid meters have a built-in timer that eventually runs out of space. If the meter is not updated with two 20-digit codes called “Key Revision Number” (KRN) codes, the meter will think it is back in the year 1993 and will stop accepting any new tokens. This means even if you have money and you buy a voucher, the meter will just show an error, and you will stay in the dark. For more updates on what is happening in the country, you can check out the trending news section to see how other cities are handling this.

To fix this, the eThekwini Municipality started a rollout where, when you buy electricity, your slip is supposed to come with three sets of numbers. The first two are the update codes, and the third one is your actual electricity units. But the problem is that many people are throwing away their slips without looking, or they are buying online and the app doesn’t show the extra codes. This has led to a huge backlog of people calling the municipality’s help lines, which are often busy because everyone is having the same problem at the same time.

On top of the technical stuff, people are very upset about the costs. Lately, many Durbanites have noticed that if they buy R200 worth of electricity, they might only get R120 worth of units. The municipality explained that there are new service charges and sometimes they deduct money for old debts. This has made the search for ethekwini prepaid electricity information skyrocket because people want to know if they are being cheated or if there is a mistake with the billing system. It is a stressful time for households who are already struggling with the high cost of living in South Africa.

Common questions about the electricity updates

How do I know if my meter needs an update?
If you buy electricity and your receipt has three different 20-digit numbers on it, your meter needs the update. If you only see one number, your meter might already be updated or the vendor hasn’t sent the codes yet.

What do I do with the three codes on my slip?
You must enter the first 20-digit code and wait for it to be accepted, then enter the second 20-digit code. Only after those two are done should you enter the third code, which is your actual electricity units.

Why did I get fewer units than what I paid for?
This is usually because the municipality has deducted a “service fee” or “fixed charge” that is now applied to certain types of prepaid customers, or you might have an outstanding water or rates debt they are collecting.

What happens if I lost my slip with the update codes?
You can usually go back to the place where you bought the electricity and ask for a “reprint,” or you can contact the eThekwini electricity customer care line, though it might take some time to get through.

Will my meter stop working if I don’t do the update?
Yes, eventually your meter will reach a point where it will reject every token you try to load. It won’t turn off your current units, but once those units are finished, you won’t be able to add more until the update is done.

Can I update the meter myself or do I need a technician?
You can do it yourself! The process is designed for the customer to just punch in the numbers. You only need a technician if the meter is broken or if the codes keep giving you an “error” message after many tries.