When moving into a new apartment, it is important to check the outstanding debt on the prepaid meter. This will not only save you from paying for the light that you didn’t use but it will also enable you to identify any discrepancies or billing errors that may need to be addressed with your utility provider, should there be any.
It was to my greatest dismay in early 2022 when I moved into an estate without checking the outstanding bill on the meter. I kept recharging for over five months and I didn’t get value for my money. Then I decided to reach out to my electricity provider, Ikeja Distribution Company, and guess what? I found out that the previous occupant of the apartment owed a whopping sum of 370k. Due to that, I regretted not checking the outstanding bill on the prepaid meter before moving in. So, for you not to experience the same ugly scenario as mine, it is best to check the outstanding bill on the prepaid meter even before paying for the rent to avoid ‘had I known’.
- Recommended: How to check prepaid meter payment history
However, there are different discos in the country; each has a unique mode of operation, hence the discrepancies in the methods used in checking their meter’s outstanding debt. Nonetheless, we have outlined all-encompassing measures that electricity consumers can use to check prepaid meter outstanding debt. Keep scrolling as we go through it together.
Why Check Outsanding Debt on Prepaid Meter

It is very important to check the outstanding debt on the prepaid meter, especially if you’re moving into a new apartment. Some of the reasons are enumerated below:
- To enable you to know the exact outstanding bill and avoid paying for the light you didn’t use.
- It will also help you to know the last time that the meter was recharged and to be sure that the meter and the customer interface (CIU) unit are working.
- To be sure that the apartment is not having any dispute with the electricity provider, so as not to experience epileptic power supply.
- To identify any discrepancies or billing errors that may need to be addressed with your utility provider.
How to Check Outstanding Debt on Prepaid Meter
Since there are different discos in the country with different modes of operation, they have different methods that electricity consumers can use to check their outstanding debt on their meter. Having said that, the most common ways that electricity consumers can check their outstanding debt on their meter are by:
- Go to your prepaid electricity bill’s review order page and check the amount that is attached to the ‘’OUTSTANDING’’. And that is the outstanding bill.
Alternatively,
- Visit your disco’s official website if they have one.
- Enter your meter number and go through the transaction history.
- If there is an outstanding debt, you will be able to see it.
Or, better yet,
- Get your prepaid meter’s number
- Visit any of your disco’s outlets nearest to you
- Meet their customer support unit and request outstanding bill check on your meter
- They will run a check on it since they have details of prepaid meter under their coverage
- If there is an outstanding bill, they will tell you the exact amount. And if there is none, they will still tell you
- If there is, discuss the debt profile with them to get clear guide on how you should go about it.
Effects of not Checking Outstanding Debt on Prepaid Meter
If you don’t check the outstanding balance on prepaid meter before parking into a new apartment, its negative rewards are:
- Higher energy cost
- Automatic disconnection of electricity supply even when you recharged newly
- Energy expenditure budgeting problems, among others.
Conclusion
Moving into a new apartment comes with enough stress already—packing, unpacking, getting familiar with your new environment—and the last thing you want is to inherit someone else’s debt without even knowing it. Trust me, I’ve been there. Learning the hard way about the importance of checking the outstanding debt on a prepaid meter is not something I wish on anyone.
So, that’s why it’s very important to make sure that the electricity you pay for is the electricity you actually use. Hence, it is vital for you to take that extra step to check for any debt on the meter to save you from headaches, unnecessary expenses, and wasted energy.