Prepaid Meter Token Rejected? 5 Causes and the Fix for Each

A prepaid meter token rejected on the keypad usually means the meter never took its two Key Change Tokens (KCTs), and you can fix that tonight for free. Your money is safe while the token sits unused, because each token only loads on the meter number printed on your receipt.

The other causes, from most to least common, are a token bought for the wrong meter or DisCo, a mistyped or already-used token, a band or meter record that changed, and a faulty meter. You can sort out the KCTs and the typo yourself. For the rest you need your DisCo, and that can take days.

Start with a 30-second check. Read the meter number on your receipt or SMS against the number on the meter's label, digit by digit, the way you'd check an account number before a transfer. If even one digit differs, go straight to the wrong-meter section.

Prepaid meter token rejected every time? The meter probably missed its KCTs

Most common cause, easiest fix.

NERC ordered the DisCos to give every prepaid customer two 20-digit Key Change Tokens. Blame a deadline: on 24 November 2024 the security code inside prepaid meters rolled over, and a meter that never took the two codes now rejects every token made after that date, however carefully you type it.

You'll know it's this one when your prepaid meter is not accepting any token, even one bought at the DisCo's own office, and the receipt's meter number matches exactly. Some meters show "used" instead of REJECT. That word throws people off, because it sounds as if someone else loaded your token.

The fix works the same way on any meter:

1. Type KCT-1 and press Enter.
2. Wait for the screen to show accepted or success.
3. Type KCT-2 and press Enter, then wait again.
4. Type the credit token you bought and press Enter.

Each KCT goes in like a normal token: all 20 digits, then Enter. Go slowly. If one fails, clear the screen and retype it carefully before you start doubting the codes, because forty digits in a row is a lot to get right on a stiff keypad at night. Each KCT works only once, on one meter.

Where to get your KCT token for each DisCo

Getting the codes costs nothing online. Have your meter number ready, then pick your DisCo:

• Ikeja Electric (IKEDC): go to ikejaelectric.com/kctcheck and type your number into the box marked "Enter Your Meter Number". KCT1 and KCT2 appear on the page. The page was down on 23 October 2026; if it won't load, use *7024# or buy any amount of credit, as below.
• Eko Electricity (EKEDC): go to kctcheck.ekedp.com and enter your meter number.
• Abuja Electricity (AEDC): use map.abujaelectricity.com/checkmeter, any AEDC social media handle or a business district office. AEDC purchases come as three tokens, and the first two are the KCTs.
• Ibadan Electricity (IBEDC): go to ibedc.com/onlinekct, enter your meter number and press Get KCT.
• Benin Electricity (BEDC): for your BEDC KCT, call customer care on 07000002332 with your meter number ready.

If the IKEDC page tells you to "vend to retrieve your KCT", buy any amount of credit and the two codes arrive with it. You can also dial *7024#, choose Token Retrieval and enter your meter number. The KCTs come by SMS for a small service charge, and this route only works after your NIN is linked to the meter.

EKEDC token retrieval: a token you bought won't load

On Eko Electricity, a token you already paid for that keeps failing has its own page. Open kctloadvendedtoken.ekedp.com (KCT to Load Vended Token) and enter your meter details. If that doesn't clear it, call 07080671170 or 07001235666 (Monday to Saturday, 8am–6pm) with your receipt in hand.

The token went to the wrong meter number or the wrong DisCo

Next on the list is a plain wrong number. A vendor may have typed it, or you did in a hurry, and the meter number came out one digit off. Sometimes a buyer picks Eko for a meter that sits under Ikeja, an easy slip in Lagos because both DisCos serve the city. Your payment still went through. But that token belongs to someone else's meter now, and only that meter will take it.

You can often spot this without touching the keypad. Check whether the meter number on the receipt is yours, then think back to the name and address that came up before you paid. A stranger's name there settles it.

Only the DisCo can reverse or re-issue that token. Gather the receipt or SMS, the transaction reference, the wrong meter number exactly as printed, and your correct one. Send a written complaint to your DisCo's Customer Care Unit. The DisCo is expected to resolve it within 15 working days, depending on how complex the case is.

Act fast. Once a stranger loads your token, that credit sits in their meter, so report it the same day.

Next time, pause at the confirmation step. When you buy an electricity token for any DisCo on AidaPay, read the customer name linked to the meter before you pay. Cancel if it's neither you nor your landlord.

A digit slipped, or that token already went in

Twenty digits on a stiff rubber keypad, in a dark corridor, with a phone torch in your other hand: mistakes happen. One wrong digit spoils the whole number. Your meter answers with the same REJECT it uses for everything else.

Clear it. Type again slowly in groups of four, reading each group off the SMS rather than from memory, and watch the screen as you go. Press any key that didn't register a second time before moving on.

A meter that says "used" or "old" is usually telling the truth. Someone else in the house may have loaded it this morning. Or your first attempt worked, and the success message vanished while your eyes were on the SMS. Check the credit. If it jumped since this morning, the token went in, and no amount of retyping will load it twice, so ask around the compound before you blame the vendor.

Your tariff band or meter record changed after you paid

Suspect the change first when the rejections started the same week your DisCo moved you to a new band, migrated your meter or updated your account.

Call the DisCo and say exactly that. Keep the date of the change, the rejected token and the receipt in front of you. Then ask whether your meter needs a fresh pair of KCTs or a re-issued token. Write down the name of whoever picks up and the time of the call, because you may end up telling the whole story again to someone else.

The keypad or the meter itself is faulty

Sometimes the box on the wall is the problem. Keys that don't register, a blank or flickering screen, or an error code where your units should be all point to hardware. So does a meter that refuses even the KCTs after careful typing.

Report it to the DisCo as a meter fault, not a token problem. A DisCo must repair or replace a faulty meter within two working days of finding the fault. Photograph the screen and keep the fault reference number. While you wait, don't let anyone open, bridge or bypass the meter, unless you'd enjoy explaining a broken seal to the DisCo.

Didn't work? DisCo contact numbers

When a prepaid meter token rejected message survives every fix above, contact your DisCo. Have the meter number, the rejected token, the receipt and a photo of the error ready before you dial.

DisCo customer care, with AidaPay token prices as at 23 October 2026:

Once your meter is working again, buy an IKEDC token or any DisCo's token on AidaPay and get cashback on every purchase.

Keep the complaint number your DisCo gives you. If 15 working days pass with no fix, take your receipt, complaint number and photos to the nearest NERC Forum office, listed at nerc.gov.ng/forum-offices. You can file there by formal letter or by email with your documents attached. For snags that aren't rejections, like a token that never arrived, see our page of other electricity token problems and fixes.

Frequently asked questions

Published 28 September 2026, updated 23 October 2026. Prices and codes change - if you spot one that has moved, tell us and we will fix it.