Reduced prepaid rates for businesses
De Jager said the business chamber can negotiate and facilitate these matters on behalf of business owners. "It is now up to you to go to council and demand that your records be updated and insist on your refunds. Or, you can decide it is too much of a hassle and continue to pay the excessive charges. The choice is yours.”
LYDENBURG – Steelburger/Lydenburg News recently reported that the business chamber had negotiated a reduced fixed rate of R185 per month for businesses buying electricity on the prepaid basis.
It would now seem that the implementation of the rate at Thaba Chweu Municipality is easier said than done. Mr Leon de Jager, of the forum, says the revenue manager of TCM, Mr Mike Mashilo, wants the chamber to supply the council with a list of all the businesses that would qualify. “They will then inspect the premises to verify the circuit breaker sizes and adjust the charges accordingly. This is not our job or responsibility. Your records should have all this information ready and available to you. For them to compile such a list would be a mammoth task as there are a few hundred businesses in the three towns buying prepaid electricity. This would defeat the whole object of getting the reduced fixed charge in place as soon as possible.”
De Jager also said that his suggestion to all the businesses in Lydenburg/ Mashishing, Sabie and Graskop that qualify (having 40A circuit breakers) is, “Write a letter to the municipal manager or unit manager in the case of Sabie and Graskop, giving your full business details and state that you have a 40A circuit breaker at your premises, ask them to come and verify it as soon as possible. Take this letter by hand, let them sign for it and keep your signed copy. When they inspect your premises, let them write their finding on your copy and sign it, with the inspector’s full name and date on your copy. Take this signed copy with your receipt (s) for any electricity bought since October 1, 2013, and demand that they refund you. Your credit for every purchase should be R365 + VAT = R416.10.”
He said that as stated in his letter of last week, if business owners presently have a larger breaker than 40A, and the business can function on a 40A, they (the owners) should have them changed by a qualified electrical contractor. “Let him issue you with a certificate to that effect and present this to council. You should then qualify for the reduced charge from your next purchase.
Further good news is that if you for instance have a 60A circuit breaker, the council should have charged you R400 plus VAT, equal to R456 and not the R627 that you have been paying, an overcharge of R171. Remember that this goes back to July 1, 2013 when the new rates were implemented. So for every purchase since then you are entitled to a refund of R171.”
De Jager said the business chamber can negotiate and facilitate these matters on behalf of business owners. “It is now up to you to go to council and demand that your records be updated and insist on your refunds. Or, you can decide it is too much of a hassle and continue to pay the excessive charges. The choice is yours.”
