Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, announced that Uganda aims to complete the migration of all electricity consumers’ Yaka meters to a new token identification system by October.
This move is essential as the current token identifier is set to expire in November 2024.
In May 2020, the STS Association, manufacturers of the current prepaid meters, issued a critical notice affecting all users, According to the notice, prepaid meters using STS technology will cease dispensing electricity unless the unique 20-digit token identifier is updated.
Nankabirwa reassured the public, stating that distribution utilities will provide support for a smooth migration.
Emphasizing the global nature of this change, she stated that electricity service providers are working to calibrate meters and eliminate potential challenges.
During this briefing, the Electricity Regulatory Authority highlighted key assumptions, including an anticipated 9.53% annual growth in electricity demand for 2024, the domestic cooking tariff will remain at 412 Ush per unit, encouraging households to use electricity for cooking.
Additionally, an institutional cooking tariff of 451 Ush per unit will support entities like schools and hospitals in transitioning from biomass to electricity.
Regarding the expiring UMEME concession, the Minister mentioned a committee overseeing the transition process and she noted that efforts are underway to support the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Ltd. (UEDCL) in taking over UMEME network operations by April 1.
Nankabirwa assured that UEDCL has the necessary financial and technical support for a seamless transition.