Cheating The Prepaid Electric Energy Meter

You can cheat the energy meter without breaking the law.
Tips on reducing your electric energy bills’.

With the deployment of energy prepayment electronic meters in Nigeria, Nigerians are now looking for ways of reducing their energy bills.

Metaphorically speaking, you are cheating your energy meter if you can maintain your present lifestyle and yet reduce your spending on electric energy. This page contains common sense tips on how you can reduce your electric energy spending from this month.
Replace lighting with energy efficient light bulbs


Lighting points believe it or not are one of the highest contributors to your monthly energy bill. So if you are serious about saving money on electricity you should take lighting serious. Those 40w, 60w, 100w and 200w incandescent bulbs that you are currently using consume lots of power and are very inefficient. The larger or brighter they are the more electricity they consume.

You can feel an immediate reduction in your electricity bill if you simply change your inefficient incandescent bulbs with energy efficient light bulbs. For example if a house has five 100w incandescent light bulbs that are turned-on an average of five hours/day, the bulbs will be consuming 2.5 units (Kwh) of energy per day. At current flat rate of N4.00/unit of electricity in Nigeria, the cost will be N10/day.

This figure might look small but by the time you calculate the cumulative cost over 30 days, it will add up to N300.00 (75 units). Note however that when the 50% increase in tariff (to N6.00) comes on stream the monthly cost for such a system will rise to N450.00.

If however, you replace the incandescent bulbs with energy efficient light bulbs significant savings will be made. Domestic energy efficient light bulbs consume between 6w and 36w. Assuming, you replace the 100w bulbs with 2 x 20 w energy efficient bulbs, 2 x 20w fluorescent tubes, and one-36w energy efficient bulbs your consumption per day under similar conditions will drop to 0.58 units or N2.32. Daily and monthly cost will drop to N69.80 (17.4 units) at N4.00/unit and N104.40 at N6.00/unit (about 76% savings).

Well, you can see the huge savings that is achievable simply by being smart. Although energy efficient light bulbs are more expensive, they last longer and will eventually pay for the cost many times over. Hence they are good value for money.
Buy energy efficient gadgets


Although replacing your light bulbs with energy efficient ones is the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to reduce your electricity bill you should not stop there. When buying gadgets in the future be mindful of power ratings. Always buy gadgets that are competitive in consumption.

Gadgets that consume lots of energy include: electric heaters, refrigerators air conditioners, and electric pressing iron. When buying this devices look for models that are efficient. There are ratings like EnergyStar and EnerGuide to help you.

Televisions, computers and DVD/VCD players have a potential of consuming lots of energy as they are usually operational for longer hours. TVs and VCD/DVD players are available that use less than 20w, buy those. If you are using one of those 80w to 90w TVs it is surely having an impact on your electric bill.

Buying energy efficient gadgets is a smart way of saving energy. Such systems are more expensive but are good value for money.
Ensure your thermostats are working


Heating and cooling gadgets that consume lots of energy, like refrigerators, air conditioners, electric heaters and electric pressing irons usually comes with thermostat. One important function (although not its main function) of the thermostat is to stop these gadgets from operating continuously.

Once the target (preset) temperature is reached, the thermostat automatically switches off the gadget. The gadget is switched back on when temperature rises or falls below the preset temperature by a threshold. This intermittent on-off switching saves energy.

If the thermostat fails, these gadgets operate continuously, increasing energy consumption and hence increasing your electricity bill.

If you notice that the thermostat in any gadget is faulty replace it as soon as possible in order to continue benefiting from the energy saving.
Security lights


Security lights could also be contributing to your high electricity bills. For example if you have two security lights of 100w each and you leave them on for eight hours/night, it will contribute N192.00/month (48 Kwh) to your electricity bill.

If you always forget to turn off the security lights in the morning, this figure may rise to up to N576.00/month (144 units). If you are using the high energy consuming halogen lamps your consumption will be much higher.

To save money, look for energy efficient lamps and light bulbs for your security light. If you always forget turning off your security lights you should look for automated systems that will contain sensors that will automatically switch on at night and switch off very early in the morning. You can add switching off you security light in your to do list in your mobile phone so that it reminds you.

More energy savings may even be achieved with systems with motion sensors that will turn on only when movement is detected. Look for technology options that suites you.
Stop bad habits


Your habits may be contributing to your current high electric bill. As mentioned earlier lighting points contribute a lot to your electricity bills. Some households have the habit of switching almost all lights in the house on at night. Some lights that are almost never turned off include toilet, bathroom, kitchen lights, and so on.

You should start by changing all your lighting points to energy efficient lights or florescent tubes. Then you must ensure that lights are turned on only when required. If you find this difficult, technology will come to your rescue.

There are systems that will automatically switch on a light only when there is someone to use it. These systems are great for the bathrooms, toilets, passages and so on but can also be used in any room.

Of course, it will cost you some extra cash.

You should also ensure that only gadgets in use are turned on. Do not leave the TV on if you are not watching. Buy an automatic on-off switching security lighting system before travelling on a holiday.

We hope this will help you cheat your energy meter and save money on electricity.


Source: TECHNOLOGY GUIDE

Some Nigerians don't like the introduction of prepaid meter. I watched their comment sometime ago on Television.

You can cheat the energy meter without breaking the law.
That was the first statement. You don't have to do illegal connections.
The family that was charged =N=1,200 for one month before now can testify to that. A =N=500 recharge can last for a month and one week with the same appliances they use before. If that is the truth then, what is the use for illegal connection

The  PHCN put many things into consideration. When I visited Enugu State last year, I discovered that the prepaid meters were never installed inside as it was done before. Customers are not allowed to install the meter by themselves, the PHCN engineers do the installation and they position it outside the compound where neighbours and others can easly see and report any illegal activity as soon as they detect it. Those that normally go round to take the meter readings and carry out disconnections are now used as task force team that patrol the streets to check for law breakers.

???You can try out anything, but my advice to you is to forget it as this can put someone behind the bars for many years. 

Paule, it is true that the PHCN and the Police are the most corrupt institution in the country (according to Amnesty International) but that should not be the reason for us to pay them with their own coin.

When it come to the issue of prepaid meter, they can never cheat you because you only recharge your card with any of the denormination just as they do with DSTV; the prepaid meter is programmed to deduct it as you use the energy just as GSM Pay-As-You-Go. If you use =N=200 out of =N=500, you can switch off all your appliances, travel, come back in a month time an continue with the remaining =N300. There will be no deduction on that.

The components in the meter are electronic components. It is not mechanical like the old stuff that you can adjust easily, once you tamper with it, it may become faulty and your power supply will be cut off. So, it is tamper proof (no user servicable part inside).

Yes, they have the facilities to adjust the billing system.  don't worry, they have to follow due proccess before any adjustment. There is need for us to keep an eye on them because there is tendency for them to start some kind of manipulation.

Actually I prefer the electronic prepaid meters to the former ones. Because you are charged for what you use, unlike the old one where there is no light for 4 monthes in some areas and they are still charged every month.







www.utotomiabalu.110mb.com

For me, I'd stick to my illegal use oe electricity. . . .

my! my!! my!!! dont i love my fellow naijarians 

How is the state doing now for the issue of the cheating of the prepaid electric energy meter? What happen when a person got caught cheating the prepaid electric energy meter?


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Security Systems