Here’s Why Your Meter is Rejecting Your Token

We’ve constantly ensured that your transaction on Buypower.ng is as convenient and seamless as possible. The only thing faster than a Buypower transaction is loading your Buypower token. But sometimes, you might encounter cases where your meter rejects your electricity token.

If you’re having these token related issues, it’s as a result of a number of reasons. But don’t fret. We are here to clarify these issues and ensure that you never have to endure difficulty with loading your electricity token.

In this post, you’ll learn about all the possible reasons why your meter is rejecting an electricity token, why you get link errors, how to resolve this, and prevent it from happening again. Stay with me.

What does a ‘Reject’ error message mean for a meter?

A ‘Reject’ error message means that you currently can’t load the electricity token you purchased on your meter. Here are the reasons why you’re getting a reject error message on your meter;

1. You purchased for the wrong meter

Usually, tokens are generated for the specific meter it was purchased for. What this means is that you cannot load a token you bought for meter A on meter B. If you erroneously bought for a different meter number, your meter will automatically reject that token. To clarify this, cross-check on the meter number you purchased for in the transaction receipt you got in your email or in your transaction history.

Please note that tokens cannot be reversed if they’ve been generated. This is why you need to go through each field in the ‘review order’ page before making a payment. If you bought for the correct meter number, you’re on the right track.

2. You haven’t activated your meter account

After installing your new meter, you’d be required to activate it from your distribution company. Without this activation, you won’t be able to successfully load any token into your meter.

So, to activate your meter, simply request for an activation code from your distribution company. Once you get this code, load it in the format given to you before loading your token. And that’s the end of ever getting a reject error.

3. There’s been a change in your tariff plan

Every meter is categorized under a tariff plan. Currently, there are five bands from A-E which all pay a varying amount per KWH. If there’s a directive to switch or change the rates in place, your meter will need to be configured to fit in with the new plan. This configuration happens with what we call a KCT (Key Change Token).

A KCT is a set of two 20 digit numbers that help configure your meter to fit into a tariff change or migration. To get this, simply request for a KCT from your distribution company and load it in the format given to you. Thereafter load your token and enjoy this smooth transition.

What 'Link Error' on prepaid meters mean and how to resolve

A link error means that there’s no communication between your meter and the power supply. Because of this, your electricity token might not be working the way it's supposed to. Here are some of the reasons why you're getting this error;

1. The batteries connected to the customer interface unit are weak

If you haven’t changed your keypad batteries in a while, it could be a reason why you’re getting this error message. The solution here is to insert new batteries in the space provided at the back of the keypad to power on the device. (We recommend using Duracell batteries.)

If the device does not come on, press 3 to power up the battery. Try loading your token again.

2. There’s no power supply on the meter

To solve this, please check if there is power supply in your area. If there is, confirm that the phase you are on has electricity. If there are generators on, turn them off along with inverters and change over to power supply. Then proceed to key in the numbers you received as a token and click on the “Enter” button. This should work.

3. The customer interface unit isn’t communicating with your meter

If your batteries are new, and you’re certain that there’s power supply, then this is why you keep getting a link error message when you try to load your token.

Simply follow the steps below to resolve this;

• Plug the keypads preferable to a wall socket used for your freezer or cooker (13Amps), and ensure the switch is on.
• If you still have units on your meter, when there is power supply, plug the Keypad to a wall socket.
• Key in “5258” instead of the first four digits of your meter number. Then complete your meter number from the fifth digit. An example is having your meter number 01011607946 but then replacing the first four digits so it becomes 52581607946. After this, press the enter button which could be a red, blue, green, or # button.
• Load the token over again after the above has been done

And that’s how to be your own engineer. We hope this article has been helpful. If you need further assistance with any of the following steps above, contact our customer support team here.

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