Water bills skyrocket in Mbombela
Sembcorp Silulumanzi blame tariff and VAT increases as well as leaks.
MBOMBELA – Water users in the city were shocked this week when they received their latest water bills, and some showed a massive increase.
Paula Da Silva noted on Facebook that her bill had more than doubled this month. Juandré Rautenbach’s went from R750 to almost R1 300 and Jeflea Shen’s from R200 to R1 000.
SEE MORE: Mbombela residents show their discontent with rising water bill amounts
Sembcorp Silulumanzi confirmed that its customer service department was being inundated with queries from the public this week.
Their tariffs increase annually on July 1. This year it was 7,43 per cent for water and 7,43 per cent for sewage for domestic users.
Spokesman, Richmond Jele, said people will also be affected by the VAT increase. Yet the percentage increases hardly add up to doubling of tariffs. Some people also reported an increase in their billing for the past few months.
Jele added that where people saw a huge spike, it usually indicated a leak.
Christel Schatz said she had a household of three people, no swimming pool and has to sometimes pay up to R2 000. “My account is ridiculously high and no leaks.”
Others have not seen a noticeable increase. Jele explained that people who used little water paid less.
The first six kilolitres are free. Up to 12 kilolitres cost R6,56 per kilolitre, up to 20 cost R16,20, up to 40 cost R17,69, up to 60 cost R19,91, up to 120 cost R22,17 and for more than 120 kilolitres R22,76.
SEE MORE: silulumanzi.com
Jele insisted that water usage was only estimated in the rarest cases. The company employs a contractor to take the readings and locations electronically.
“They also change routes every month. We do not estimate any usages unless we find the gates locked on numerous follow-up visits.”
Only then is a household’s previous six-month consumption used to estimate the usage and only until their meters could be read – and their bills amended and credited where needed.
Jele urged all customers to contact Sembcorp Silulumanzi with any queries about their bills and possible leaks. Phone: 013-752-6839 or email: enquires-silulumanzi@sembcorp.com.
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