A Productive Rant About Electricity Bills

When do rants get productive? Well, this is a productive rant about electricity in Nigeria. Electricity shortages are a reality in Nigeria, and this rant has highlighted the need for sustainable and reliable power solutions.

I AM SCREAMINGGGGGGG!!!!

“How did I spend this much on electricity in January?” I have other bills to pay too. “How did this happen?”

Okay, let’s stop here for a while and smile a bit. That is the agony of every adult Nigerian at some point in their life. You can’t imagine how much you spend on bills, the most important one being electricity. 

Electricity bills are hefty. They tend to run the pocket dry when they are not regulated. Against all the other bills we pay as adults, the electricity bill is perhaps the biggest. We heard of people who spend over 35% of their monthly income on electricity bills alone. This is not surprising considering the rate of inflation in the country.

As a Nigerian, having a monthly budget is often laughable because we tend to overspend that budget at some point. If we don’t overspend on transportation, the tariff on electricity will increase at some point. The prices of commodities and utilities are never fixed. This severely cripples the effects of budgeting. Back to our rant, guys. 

Major blackout,

One major event that kept recurring in 2022 was the power grid that kept collapsing. The government blamed the repeated grid outages on poor management and insufficient gas supplies. The grid collapsed approximately seven times last year, causing total blackouts every time. The government’s explanations for the grid outages were backed up by reports from energy experts who found that the outages were caused by a combination of insufficient gas supplies and issues with the way the grid was being managed. Poor maintenance, aging infrastructure, and inadequate staffing were all identified as contributing factors.

Electricity bills increment,

The steady rise in the bill is very uncomfortable in a country where the rate of inflation rises without a commensurate rise in income.  This is the backbone of our rant today. The electricity tariff went up by 18.5% in the last quarter of 2022. The implications of this are by no means minuscule. Its impact was harder than that of the Titanic against the iceberg that sank it. Monthly financial plan in the mud. . Just sit tight, and let’s unravel what works and what does not work in this Nigerian context. Since it isn’t possible to change tariffs, we can change what we can. To continue this productive rant about electricity in Nigeria,

We all started with post-paid meters. That sorta type where ‘NEPA” (we don’t call them that anymore) officials bring a bill to show how much electricity you have spent and how much you had to pay. Those bills were outrageous. If you couldn’t afford them, your power would be disconnected. The prepaid meters came along many years after. This has its own advantages and disadvantages. Ask an average Nigerian, and they will tell you their preferred choice.

Remember when you would stand outside begging NEPA officials not to disconnect you while someone ran to the nearest NEPA office to help you pay your bill? Those are stories now. Just like with Prepaid Meters, disconnection is unnecessary, with VTpass, going out to pay bills is unnecessary. Simply log on to ppp.vtpass.com or download the mobile app to buy airtime or data, pay electricity or education bills, Pay DStv, GOtv, or Startimes subscription, or buy insurance cover.

Experience seamless payments and get immediate value when you pay your electricity bills and more with VTpass.


Paying Electricity Bills Online: Expectations vs. Reality.

Paying electricity bills online can be a convenient and cost-effective way to manage your bills. However, it can also be unreliable and difficult to navigate. Issues can arise with logging in, payments not going through, and not receiving confirmation emails.

Paying bills online has come to stay. Paying bills online is becoming increasingly popular as it is a convenient, time-saving way to manage your finances. It is a trend that is gaining more and more traction as technology advances. This is because more people are getting comfortable using internet services to make payments for various goods and services. With the added security features available, it is not surprising that paying bills online has now become the new normal. 

Paying electricity bills online on Vtpass just got more convenient.

For instance, many financial institutions offer their customers the ability to set up automatic payments. This allows their customers to ensure that bills are paid on time without having to manually submit payment every time.

EXPECTATIONS

Customers have come to expect fast and reliable online bill payment options that are easy to set up and use. These technologies have made it possible for consumers process payments quickly and securely. And they also have helped to build trust between financial institutions and their customers. 

Online billing platforms have made it much easier for customers to pay their bills on time and with confidence. Customers can get electricity tokens easily by going online, which eliminates the need to travel to a payment point. This has made it much more convenient for customers to pay their bills without any disruption.

The reality of paying electricity bills online is that it has made it much simpler and more secure. Customers can now pay their bills with just a few clicks, without having to worry about dealing with cash. Plus, they can be sure that their transactions are secure and their money is safe. Additionally, customers can take advantage of discounts, promotions, and other offers that are available for those paying their bills online.

FURTHER ADO,

The experience is similar to ordering groceries online. It’s a convenient and secure way to get the things you need without ever leaving the comfort of your home. Plus, customers can shop from anywhere, anytime, and have their order delivered within days – or sometimes even hours. It also eliminates the need to wait in line at a store or worry about parking or other hassles.

The advantage of paying electricity bills online is that it is quick, easy, and secure. Customers can view their bills and make payments from the comfort of their homes. Plus, the online payment process is often more secure as it uses encryption technology to protect customer data.

The disadvantage of paying electricity bills online is that not everyone has access to the internet. Which makes it difficult for some customers to pay their bills. Additionally, customers may not be comfortable making payments online due to security concerns. 

Security concerns about online payments include the risk of identity theft, the use of malicious software, and the possibility of hackers accessing financial information. These risks can deter customers from making payments online, especially if they are not familiar with the process.

They should also be able to verify the legitimacy of the website they are using before entering their financial information. Furthermore, customers should check for signs of security such as a lock icon and ‘https’ in the website address when paying for services online.

REALITY,

In Nigeria, paying electricity bills online is becoming a reality, with several websites offering customers the ability to buy their bills digitally. To help customers feel secure when paying their bills online, legitimate websites often feature encryption and other security measures.

To ensure customers feel safe, Vtpass has invested in a range of encryption and other security measures to ensure their payments are made securely. Not only this, but our customers can be sure to get value for whatever they pay for. Tokens are delivered immediately payment is confirmed, and can be reserved for up to 90 days. To top it all off, Vtpass provides a 24/7 customer service team on hand to answer any queries and provide a helping hand, so customers can be sure that their needs are taken care of.

As always, VTpass remains the number 1 bills payment platform that offers you seamless payment and swift delivery of the value for which you pay for. This is one of the tools we have built in place to aid you always get prompt value, irrespective of any irregularities that may arise.

In conclusion, bills payment with ppp.vtpass.com is superfast, easy and very convenient. Just a few clicks and you’re done. In addition, you get 24/7 access to our support team to help you through any glitch you might have. Why don’t you try us today?

What To Do When You Don’t Receive Token

All things being equal, every time you pay bills using VTpass, you should receive your token immediately; some peculiar cases may arise though, so here’s what to do when you don’t receive token.

At VTpass, our utmost priority is making sure you get immediate value for the services you pay for when you need it. By logging on to ppp.vtpass.com, you get to conveniently pay for everyday services. These services range from airtime and data subscriptions. to electricity bills, cable tv subscriptions, insurance bills and education bills. Upon using some of these services like electricity, you may need to receive a token. In rare cases, you may not receive this token immediately due to service breakdown or poor network issues. To better understand the reasons why you may not receive your token immediately, please click here.

In cases where you do not receive the token at all however after making a payment and you need it urgently, there’s a way to get it. We have built in a tool on the VTpass dashboard where you can regenerate your token by yourself when you do not receive it, due to certain hindrances

What To Do

In a case where you have made payment for a service and are yet to receive your token, simply log in to your VTpass dashboard from a Chrome browser. At the top of your dashboard, you’ll see an icon saying “find my token.”

Click on the “find my token” icon or visit the unique url https://vtpass.com/find-my-token.

Next, input your meter number and the phone number linked to your transaction, then click on the “search” button.

Our system immediately helps you pull out your token and displays it to you. You also get the option to download your transaction receipt and see all the necessary details. That’s what to do when you don’t receive token. Should you have lost any of your tokens and wish to recover it, you can use this tool to get it back.

As always, VTpass remains the number 1 bills payment platform that offers you seamless payment and swift delivery of the value for which you pay for. This is one of the tools we have built in place to aid you always get prompt value, irrespective of any irregularities that may arise.

In conclusion, bills payment with ppp.vtpass.com is superfast, easy and very convenient. Just a few clicks and you’re done. In addition, you get 24/7 access to our support team to help you through any glitch you might have. Why don’t you try us today?

Happy Customer Service Week!

Servicing customers can be hard; it’s customer service week so we thought, what better time to let you in on this secret than now? We have one of the best customer support teams this part of the continent! Don’t believe? We’ll not just tell, we’ll show also. See below

Customer Service Week: Our “why”

You see, at VTpass, we do not believe customer service is just a department, but an organizational culture, with every interaction carefully designed to not just meet, but exceed the expectations of our customers.

We know we’re not perfect yet, but that’s where we’re headed, and we want to say thank you for staying with us on our journey from here to there. It’s customer service week, but we celebrate our customers everyday for helping us keep the lights on.

We would like to use this medium to reassure you of our continued dedication to bringing you the best of service, our endless cycles of upgrades to optimize your experience while using our platform, and team brainstorming sessions on “what more can we give to you”

Whenever you experience any issues, you can be rest assured that we will help resolve them. You can always send an email to support@vtpass.com, call our active support line on 08138752358, use the live chat feature on the website, or contact us via our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram.) We’re currently not active on Twitter due to the ban by the government.

As we have grown steadily through the years, you’ve always and will always remain our number one priority.

Happy Customer Service Week. Happy “you” Week!

– Lanre Ogunya,

CEO, VTpass

Customer Service Week

3 Things You Didn’t Know About Prepaid Meters

Prepaid Meters are the in-thing for anyone leasing an apartment or renting space right now. It affords the opportunity to be able to monitor your electricity usage and avoid paying when there is no power. Prepaid Meters, like the name implies, are loaded with units before you begin to use them. Pretty much like the airtime recharge system.

Here are three things you probably didn’t know about Prepaid Meters

1. Free Units Are Not Free.

Nothing is free even in Freetown, and this is Nigeria. When you newly acquire a prepaid meter, you will be told as an incentive that your meter comes with free units for you to use at first. When the units are depleted, you can now begin to pay. This is not entirely true. Yes, the meter comes loaded with units, but, they are not free. You realise this when you want to purchase units and are told that there is a debt on your meter. Some of us learnt the hard way, it’s better you are prepared in advance. So, when you get your meter, use the units that come with in with the knowledge that you will pay for it, eventually. It isn’t free.

2. You Can Calculate and Monitor Your Units

One of the major advantages of the Prepaid Meter is that you can track your power consumption. You don’t have to wait till your bill arrives. If you want to check your prepaid balance or know the amount of total credit used, press 07 on your prepaid keypad and hit the blue button. Your available balance will be displayed on the screen in this format (150.15). This usually works for most prepaid meters.

3. Making Payment is Easy With The Right Platform

Remember when you would stand outside begging NEPA officials not to disconnect you while someone ran to the nearest NEPA office to help you pay your bill? Those are stories now. Just like with Prepaid Meters, disconnection is unnecessary, with VTpass, going out to pay bills is unnecessary. Simply log on to ppp.vtpass.com or download the mobile app to buy airtime or data, pay electricity or education bills, Pay DStv, GOtv or and Startimes subscription or buy insurance cover.

Experience seamless payments and get immediate value when you pay your electricity bills and more with VTpass.

My Prepaid Meter Tragedy

The Prepaid Meter is fast becoming popular, but this wasn’t always the case. When introduced, many were excited at the prospect of paying for the exact electricity units used. No more estimated bills. No more inaccurate readings. Also, an end to paying for electricity you were not supplied.

Another group of people didn’t react as well to this. Those who had tampered with their meters so they would have reduced bills to pay. I was one of such people. Yes. Corruption is everywhere. I didn’t even register for the prepaid meter, yet it was brought. That’s how I knew that my village people wanted to start writing final year project on my head.

The prepaid meter came with free units and for a while, I was in heaven. All was well in paradise until barely two weeks later, the units finished. I needed to make payment. I “shaparly” logged on to ppp.vtpass.com where a friend had told me I can make my electricity bill payments. In less than a minute, my IKEDC payment was done. Seamless, just the way I like it!

I still did not have light! How come? I contacted VTpass 24-hour support, chatted with Laolu, and He told me that there was debt on my meter. New meter? That’s when I discovered that the free units are not actually free! I paid and got more units. Now there’s light almost all through the day, great! 4 days later, my units were depleted. I could not cry. Please coman take this prepaid meter back, I don’t want. Bring back awa postpaid, I’m in severe pains.

I have learnt my lesson. Every thing is deducted from your units. Now, even my wall sockets go off if I am not using it, because this prepaid life is difficult!

The Weekend Of Finals

We have a blockbuster of weekend on our hands and we’re loving absolutely every bit of it. As always, vtpass ensures that you do not miss any of the action by handling your bills payments for you.

1. The Wimbledon Finals

Weekend

If you’re a lover of tennis, then nothing would be more satisfying this Saturday than seeing the finals of the oldest tennis tournament in the world. That is to say, Ashleigh Barty of Australia and Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic go head to head in the Wimbledon Ladies’ finals on SuperSport Tennis (214), at 14:45 CAT.

Similarly, the men’s finals follows fast on Sunday, as the winners of the semi-final happening today between Novac Djokovic and Shapovalov face the winners of the other semi-final tie pitting Matteo Berrettini’s against Hurkacz. Watch the Men’s Finals live on SuperSport Tennis (214), at 14:00 CAT.

2. Nigerian Idol Finale

Weekend

Thirdly, the Nigerian Idols! The winner of the Nigerian Idol season 6 will be nobody’s mate, with a cash prize of N30m, brand new SUV, 6 track EP recording deal and many other goodies. Catch the finals this Sunday 11th on Africa Magic at 7pm. The weekend is filled with back to back content.

3. Euro2020 Final

Weekend

Lastly, sunday night sees England, in the finals for the first time, face off at Wembley against Italy, 1-time winners of the Euros. Catch what promises to be a pulsating final live on Supersport and Startimes at 21:00 CAT.

There’s no need to move away from your screen trying to pay bills this weekend. Simply log on to ppp.vtpass.com to buy airtime/data, subscribe GOtv, DStv, or Startimes, or pay electricity bills . . . it’s as easy as Login, Select, and Pay!

Increase in Electricity Tariff; Customers to Pay More

The latest news to storm Nigerians after a trying period this year is the increase in electricity tariff. As approved by the Regulator; the revised Service Reflective Tariff (SRT) would take electricity tariff plans a spike higher; resulting in fewer units for buying consumers.

SRT was meant to take effect from September 1st, 2020 but was suspended after the Federal Government, Labour Unions, and other stakeholders met to discuss concerns raised about the tariff increase. However, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved the tariff spike after a brief wait.

IKEDC leads the pack in tariff implementation

On Sunday, November 1st, 2020, Ikeja Electric (IKEDC) announced via Twitter that they would commence the implementation of the revised tariff immediately.

The DisCo said: “Under the SRT, the tariff classification is based on the quality of service and therefore, divided into 5 Bands (A-E).

“This is measured by the average availability of power supply over a month, interruptions (frequency and duration), voltage levels, and other service parameters.

“With the revised tariff regime, Non-MD customers in Band A, with a minimum of 20 hours daily will now pay N51.22/Kwh.

“Band B customers with a minimum of 16 hours daily will be charged N46.93/Kwh; while Band C customers with a minimum of 12 hours daily will be charged N37.95/Kwh.

increase in electricity tariff

“However, please note that customers in Bands D and E, with a minimum of eight hours and four hours per day, respectively, are not impacted by the tariff revision.”

According to the company; the SRT tariffs of the two bands have been frozen, and consequently, they will continue to be charged the old tariff prior to the introduction of the SRT.

The prepaid meter customers in Bands A to C, who vends from November 1st would be charged the new tariff. The same will be implemented for postpaid customers in these bands during the November billing cycle.

AEDC comes next

Similarly, Abuja Electricity Distribution (AEDC) announced it will begin implementation of the increased electricity tariff with effect from the 1st of November too.

According to AEDC General Manager, Corporate Communication, Mr Oyebode Fadipe, customers on the pre-paid platform will be the first to experience the revised tariff when they vend as from Sunday, November 1st.

“While the revised tariff will reflect in the bills for customers on the postpaid platform when they receive their electricity bills.

“The tariff is divided into five bands and based on hours of supply to the customers.

“While customers on bands D and E have their tariff frozen, those on bands A, B, and C will see some level of reduction in their tariff as they vend.

“The AEDC assures its customers that it will, in line with the spirit and letter of the service reflective tariff, ensure that all customers receive quality service,” he said.

He said that the AEDC was also committed to the improvement of service to customers in all its franchise area.

“We, however, appeal to customers to please see this tariff regime as an opportunity for them to join hands with AEDC to speed up the process of improving the quality of service in the Nigerian power sector.”

AEDC would release the table of payment for the new tariff soon.

Other electricity distribution companies are expected to start implementing the increase in electricity tariff soon as well.

Pay Electricity Bills on VTpass

While VTpass has no control over the number of allocated to customers, prices would remain the same on our platform (as determined by respective electricity distributors) unless otherwise changed.

To pay your electricity bills using VTpass, simply log on to ppp.vtpass.com/eletricity-bill or click here. It’s fast and easy; your meter token would be displayed on our platform as well as sent to you via mail and SMS.

Easiest way to Pay Eko Electric (EKEDC) Bill

Are you tired of having to walk into an office to pay electricity bills? Ugh! That can be really stressful. Perhaps you are looking for an easier, faster, and reliable way to pay EKEDC bill without stress?

The solution is simply to go online! Gone are the days of stressing oneself in the name of paying electricity bills. Now you can sit back in the comfort of your home and pay EKEDC bill from your computer or mobile phone.

Here are the simple things you need to buy EKEDC units online:

  • Mobile phone or computer
  • Internet connection
  • Trusted & reliable online payment platform like VTpass
  • Funds in your wallet or account for payment
  • A cup of coffee and some comfy pillows

How to pay EKEDC bill on VTpass

VTpass is Nigeria’s number one open online payment platform trusted by millions of Nigerians for making convenient payments. With VTpass, you can pay electricity bills, buy airtime or data, renew DStv, GOtv, and StarTimes subscription, buy third party motor insurance, pay education bills among others.

To pay EKEDC bill on VTpass, simply follow the steps below:

pay EKEDC bill
EKEDC payment page on ppp.vtpass.com
  1. Visit ppp.vtpass.com from your computer (or download the VTpass mobile app from Google PlayStore)
  2. On the option box that says “What do you want to do“, select Pay Electricity payment on the horizontal menu tab
  3. From the second option box below the first, select EKEDC (Eko Electric). Once the page opens;
  4. Select your  Meter type (prepaid or postpaid)
  5. Enter your correct Meter number, Phone number, Email address, & Amount worth of units you want to buy e.g 2000
  6. Click on “Continue” to move on to payment page to complete payment
  7. When your payment process is completed, click “Submit

Easy!

After payment, meter tokens are delivered to you instantly via mail and SMS and you can load it immediately to your meter. Click here to buy units now.

For inquiry or issues encountered, simply reach VTpass support by chatting us live through the web or app, sending a mail to support@vtpass.com or calling 08138752358.

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