Letter: Reader brings CoE billing into question

EDITOR – I am writing to the Kempton Express in the hope that you will be able to investigate what the municipality is presently doing about water and sewerage charges.

ALSO READ: What is the maintenance plan Zuurfontein Cemetery?

If I am not mistaken the problem I am going to explain to you concerns all ratepayers in Kempton Park.
Since June of this year, no water meters and no electricity meters have been read.

In my statement dated 14/07/2022 my last water meter reading appears as 184 and my water consumption was calculated as 20kl. I was charged R505.05 including tax. This calculates to R25.25 per kl. A very reasonable amount.

In my next three statements, there were no meter readings and I was charged an interim of 15kl each month.

In my statement dated 16/08/2022 this amounted to R386.23.

In my statement dated 13/09/2022 this amounted to R386.23.

ALSO READ: City cleans Kempton Park CBD

In my statement dated 13/10/2022 this amounted to R390.09.

In my statement dated 10/11/2022 a water meter reading of 279 has been captured and by correctly calculating from the previous reading of 184 the total consumption since the last reading was calculated as 95kl.

Then on the same statement, the total interim of 45kl for the three months was reversed.

Again the amount reversed is correct.

They then on the same statement charged me for the full 95kl and the amount they charged me for 95kl is R2879.11 including tax.

Here is where I see a serious problem.

Divide R2879.11 by 95kl and you will see that I have now been charged R30.30 per kl.

I am sure that if you take the matter up with the municipality they will probably tell you that this is because of a sliding bracketed scale that charges different amounts per kl according to total consumption but I find this unacceptable as this consumption does not apply to one month but in fact to four months.

If this is what they are doing I find this unethical and it may be illegal. Someone in the legal profession would have to look at the legal side of it.

In my example above I only mention water but they have also applied the same reasoning to sewerage.
For sewerage on my statement of 14/07/2022 for 20kl, I was charged R203.81.

ALSO READ: Closure on the cards for 1st Kempton Scouts

This calculates to R10.19 per kl, but on my statement dated 10/11/2022 for the 95kl, I am charged R1570.45. This calculates to R16.53 per kl.

I am sure this problem is being experienced by many honest paying residents and it needs to be attended to.

Add this to the fact that they will in all probability apply the same process once they start to get electricity meter readings which have now been charged interims for the past four months.

As I said above if this is what they are doing I find it completely unethical.

Concerned resident.

EDITOR’S COMMENT – The letter was sent to the City of Ekurhuleni’s media department for comment on November 24.

Comment was requested by November 28 at 10am.

At the time of going to print, no comment was received.

Also follow us on: