Tshwane households can look forward to new and free prepaid meters shortly.
Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said households in the central and southern parts of the city would be the first of many to receive their new smart prepaid meters.
He said Tshwane’s largest power consumers were the first to switch over to prepaid during 2013 and the aim of the new smart prepaid solution programme was to replace all existing electricity meters with prepaid ones.
Mashigo said the metro would be able to modernise its infrastructure, overcome problems of estimated meter readings, inaccurate billing and loss of revenue.
“The metro will also be able to secure its financial position as it ensures automated meter reading, data management, data processing and analysis. Residents will no longer receive unexpected high electricity bills at the end of the month, as smart prepaid meters send continual meter readings at predefined time periods automatically to the meter management system,” Mashigo said.
He said residents could view their credit and consumption information on the “Self Care Portal” website or from a Customer Interface Unit (CIU), a small display unit installed within their home.
“Therefore, by knowing how much electricity was consumed, residents can adjust consumption habits and budget accordingly.”
Mashigo said the benefits of the prepaid meters included an end to estimated electricity bills, easy view of consumption patterns, reduced theft and fraud as smart meters and anti-tampering technology are introduced.
With tamper detection alarms linked to the city’s system, the metro could plan better around the use of electricity and the installation of Smart Prepaid Meters. The project also supports job creation, growth and development in the city.
“There is no charge for the installation of a Smart Prepaid Meter and the CIU, maintenance or repair of these devices. Likewise, there will be no change in the existing electricity tariffs as these were determined and approved annually by NERSA,” Mashigo said.
However, once the switch-over had been done residents would be required to purchase smart prepaid electricity immediately to ensure continued electricity supply. “All outstanding post-paid electricity accounts will also need to be settled during this time,” he said.
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