Recharger Prepaid Meters, through its prepaid electricity sub-meters, has brought convenience to a significant number of home and business owners and tenants across the country.
A prepaid electricity sub-meter assists users to control and regulate their usage of electricity. It works much like a prepaid cellphone, whereby usage is paid for upfront, therefore eliminating unexpectedly large bills that can occur when paid monthly in arrears.
From left to right: correctly installed; incorrectly installed; illegal bridge connection; and illegal bypass connection.
In this article, Recharger, through its technical support division, aims to raise awareness of specific criteria that are essential for the safe installation of the current single phase prepaid sub-meter products.
Recharger unpacks some of the real-life information that has come to our attention through direct communication with our clients, and advises on how to install the sub-meter correctly, as well as offering tips on how not to carry out an installation.
What main factors must be considered when a prepaid sub-meter is installed?
It must be noted that the Recharger prepaid electricity sub-meter is not intended to replace the primary Eskom or municipal meter. A registered electrician must install the prepaid sub-meter.
- The installation will differ in each building, as it will depend on whether it is a free-standing home (residential) or a larger building with individual units (residential or commercial).
- You will need to choose between a single-phase and three-phase meter before the installation, as per your building requirements.
- The number of meters you install will depend on how big the property is, as well as the number of unit owners within the property who will require them.
Another consideration would be the placement of the prepaid sub-meter. The prepaid sub-meter should be placed between the primary meter and the rented unit’s distribution board (DB). If the building is new, it is possible that the units may not have their own meters and so the prepaid sub-meters should be installed between the municipal board and DB of each unit.
What do you need to bring with you to the installation site?
To complete a prepaid meter installation successfully, the following tools are required:
- Star and flat screwdrivers.
- Cutting pliers.
- Electrical pliers.
- A drill, for mounting of the sub-meter.
- A level.
- Multimeter.
- Insulation tape.
The registered electrician should also provide a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) once they have successfully completed and tested the entire installation.
The step-by-step process of installing the single phase prepaid sub-meter
The Recharger prepaid electricity sub-meter must be installed by a registered electrician, as follows:
- Position the sub-meter in the required installation area and mark off the holes for the mounting screws, ensuring that the sub-meter is level. Drill the holes for the screws and mount the sub-meter onto the surface.
- Once the meter has been mounted, switch off the main supply from the main DB before making any connections to the sub-meter.
- Unscrew and remove the front plastic cover.
- Connect the supply from the main DB to the terminal block of the sub-meter, ensuring that terminal 1 is the Live and terminal 2 is the Neutral. Check that the terminal screws are tightened so that the wires are not loose.
- Connect the Load Circuit (supply to the sub-DB) to the terminal block of the sub-meter, ensuring that terminal 3 is the Neutral and terminal 4 is the Live. Ensure that the terminal screws are tightened so that the wires are not loose.
- Screw on the front cover, ensuring that it is tightly fastened.
- Switch on the power from the main DB to the meter. A flashing red or green LED will now be visible and power will be flowing through the sub-meter, successfully completing your installation.
- If there is no red or green LED indicator, it means that the sub-meter is not being supplied power and the connection to the sub-meter is incorrect – therefore, check your supply or your wiring installation.
Common installation errors
Some of the main errors when installing a prepaid electricity sub-meter, as reported by our customers, include the following:
- Incorrect wiring of the sub-meter.
- Wiring the sub-meter in reverse (in other words, swapping of the incoming and outgoing cables).
- Bypassing of the sub-meter (incorrectly wiring the installation without going through the sub-meter).
- Bridging of the sub-meters (connection of the load directly to the incoming supply).
The most common error is wiring the sub-meter in reverse. This is where the incoming supply is wired onto the outgoing terminals of the sub-meter and vice versa. It is also common to find that the electrician has not replaced the sub-meter cover securely after the installation is completed. Another common error is finding a single-phase sub-meter incorrectly connected to a three-phase distribution board. Residential homes are usually served by a single-phase power supply, while commercial and industrial facilities typically use a three-phase supply.
The reasons for these errors include the following:
- Not reading the wiring instructions in the user manual.
- Lack of education in this area / the work was done by persons who were not registered electricians.
- Illegal electricity connections.
- The tamper being activated before the installation is completed.
Product quality and warranties
Recharger proudly offers a life-time warranty on our selected sub-meters (subject to terms and conditions). We are the first local prepaid electricity sub-meter company in South Africa to do so.
Such a warranty, for example, is offered on our best-selling offering for the residential market, namely the Recharger Single Phase 80 Amp sub-meter. This device features a built-in battery which ensures that the sub-meter is on, even if the power is out, keeping it alive even during power outages. Additionally, the sub-meter cannot be tampered with, regardless of whether there is power or not.
International specifications and installation guidelines
In addition to supplying a comprehensive range of three-phase and single-phase electricity sub-meters, the prepaid sub-meters offered in Recharger’s range are all of international standard, as well as STS (Standard Transfer Specification) certified, and installed independently.
The STS standard, which was an initiative by Eskom in 1993, provides compatibility between certified STS-compliant electricity dispensers and vending systems in the electricity dispensing industry to the benefit of the customer, distributor and agent.
Final advice regarding installations
It is important to reiterate that a Recharger prepaid sub-meter is not intended to replace a municipal/utility provider meter. It is purely used for a landlord/tenant setup.
Secondly, it’s imperative to ensure that you switch off all live cables from the main supply before making any connections. Finally, advise your clients to pre-register the Recharger prepaid sub-meter before installation so that when the sub-meter is installed, it has already been registered.
By Colin Openshaw: Consultant and Shareef Khan: Engineer, Recharger Prepaid Meters
Enquiries: info@recharger.co.za
