Uganda has made remarkable progress in upgrading its prepayment electricity meters to meet the global Token Identifier (TID) rollover requirements, with a 95.5% completion rate achieved ahead of the November 24, 2024, deadline.
This critical upgrade ensures that electricity meters can continue to accept new tokens beyond the stipulated cutoff date.
The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Nankabirwa Sentamu, announced that 2.2 million electricity customers have successfully upgraded their Yaka meters.
The upgrade follows a directive from the Global Standard Transfer Specification (STS) Association, which mandated the transition to prevent power disruptions.
While the majority of Uganda’s electricity users are now compliant, 112,000 meters under Umeme and 17,122 under UEDCL remain unupgraded. These cases are attributed to unique circumstances such as:
- Unoccupied Rental Properties: Vacant units without occupants to facilitate the upgrade.
- Homes in Remote Areas or With Absent Owners: Properties whose owners reside abroad or in distant regions.
- Meter Tampering and Electricity Theft: Cases requiring legal or technical resolution before upgrades.
- Disputed Properties: Homes under legal contention or owned by deceased individuals.
Efforts to Ensure Full Compliance
Electricity distributors have introduced targeted initiatives to address these challenges, including:
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- Deployment of Technicians: Field teams are manually upgrading meters in accessible locations.
- Customer Outreach: Affected users receive SMS notifications and follow-up phone calls urging them to act promptly.
Meters installed after May 2024 were pre-configured to comply with the new system, ensuring no service interruptions for these users. However, the Ministry continues to advise all customers to verify their meter status to avoid unexpected issues.
A Call to Action
Minister Nankabirwa commended stakeholders and compliant customers for their cooperation but emphasized the urgency for remaining users to upgrade.
“I urge those who have not yet had their meters upgraded to take immediate action before the deadline to ensure uninterrupted electricity service,” she stated.
This proactive strategy highlights Uganda’s commitment to adhering to international standards while safeguarding reliable electricity supply.
The collaborative efforts of the Ministry and electricity distributors set a strong precedent for handling similar challenges in the future.
