Resident cries foul over metro’s billing system

Barlow will raise a few matters in court, but her main case is that there is no time-frame stipulated in the credit control policy (clause 5.7 (a)) as to when and how accounts in arrears are to be handled.

She claims that the metro switch off residents’ electricity as and when they please, without following any set time-frame that has been stipulated in writing.

“I will challenge them in court and suggest that a time-frame be specified of when a final notice should be handed out, and how many days thereafter should action be taken against the non-payer,” says Barlow.

Barlow points out that contractors who are in charge of disconnections, delivering of final notices and reconnections, are not properly managed by the metro.

“The day a notice is printed, the day on the notice, and the day it gets delivered is a few days apart, and this does not give the ratepayer the same time-frame stipulated (seven days) in the credit control policy to attend to the matter, causing legal implications and illegal disconnections as proper procedure is not followed,” complains Barlow.

“A notice should be delivered on the same day that it is issued, not three or even five days later.”

According to her, this results in residents not being able to pay in time, therefore, the electricity is disconnected. A reconnection fee then has to be charged as well.

Barlow’s concern is that residents are being charged R87.78 for the distribution of Final Notices.

“This fee should be reimbursed to residents who have received final notices without allowing for enough time to pay their accounts. For example, if you pay the metro from another bank account and it reflects only a couple of days later in the metro’s account, you are deemed to be in arrears.”

She notes that because the system of how the metro and contractors are handling accounts and notices, residents end up paying a total of over R300 to get their electricity reconnected.

Over time, she says, the R300 paid by residents results into millions that land into the coffers of the metro.

She says these fees are illegal means that the metro has been profiting from.

Barlow says she will also contest the water restriction law, which will allegedly be passed, allowing the metro to give a restricted amount of water to a resident until they pay their account.

According to Barlow, there are also no credit control policies regulating prepaid meters.

“There is no law that governs the prepaid system. People with prepaid meters should not have their electricity disconnected under any circumstances, as this contravenes the Spoliation Act,” she points out.

The metro has also raised concerns that the current credit control measures are not strict enough.

In the recent budget speech presented by the metro, it was made public that residents in Ekurhuleni owed an outstanding debt to the city of almost R12-billion.

Mayoral Member of Committee (MMC) for finance, Clr Moses Makwakwa, pointed out, that the metro would apply aggressive credit control measures to recover this amount.

“Our debtors book is increasing because of outstanding payments from businesses, government and residents of Ekurhuleni,” said Makwakwa.

“We remain very concerned by the fact that we are still collecting below our target of 93 per cent, whilst there is high capital pressure for service delivery,” he added.

Makwakwa said that through the implementation of the revised revenue protection and enhancement project, the city would continue the battle of improving on collection.

Barlow says with this legal action she will be taking on the public interest litigation on behalf of Boksburg residents.

“I urge the public to come forward with further evidence to strengthen the case against the metro, especially pictures that specify dates of incidents,” says Barlow.

Affected residents may email Barlow on barlow@hotmail.co.za. – @TumeloBoksburg