Tshwane forced to estimate utility bills due to hostility of ratepayers

The Tshwane metro claims it is being forced to estimate ratepayers’ utility bills due to the hostility it has received.

The metro said there were sporadic incidents of intimidation in communities when its workers attempted to promote equity and fairness in the billing system.

MMC for Finance Peter Sutton said the metro was attempting to accelerate efforts to ensure that residents received accurate bills. However, there were several incidents where people had resorted to physical violence against their staff trying to gain access to properties for meter readings.

“Tshwane has been made aware of numerous incidents where residents have refused to cooperate with the city’s meter readers. In some areas, these incidents have escalated to intimidation, where our teams are prevented from performing their duties.

“This, in turn, forces the city to bill these customers using estimations,” said Sutton.

He said meter reading was the most reliable way to calculate utility consumption in the metro to have accurate meter readings and ensure that ratepayers paid for the actual services they consumed.

“With accurate meter readings, we can better plan and allocate resources to improve and maintain our services for the benefit of the communities we serve.

“We understand that privacy and safety are paramount to you, and we assure the community our meter readers are trained to respect your rights and operate professionally and efficiently.”

Sutton called for a conducive relationship between the meter readers and ratepayers.

He said the meter readers were easily identifiable by their official uniforms and identification badges.

“If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to ask for identification details or contact our office to verify their identities. Cooperation is instrumental in achieving our common goal of a well-functioning metro that offers reliable and fair services.”

The issue of addressing accurate billing was also addressed by the Public Protectors office, which released a report on billing problems in Tshwane in 2021.

Tshwane’s previous acting city manager was tasked with fixing the problems regarding incorrect water and electricity bills after residents claimed to have been inaccurately billed. She had intended to incorporate a budget for accurate meter readings and replace about 70 000 prepaid meters after the Public Protector’s report identified certain irregularities.

In 2021, the Public Protector’s office recommended that Tshwane implement remedial action to address the metro’s billing system. It initiated a systemic investigation into the metro, as billing problems arose via complaints to the office in 2020.

The spate of complaints from ratepayers was against the metro’s irregular electricity and water billing system.

According to the report, the complaints were from as far back as 2018.

“We received around 70 complaints. The majority of the complainants alleged that they often received exorbitant bills for water and electricity consumption from the metro. Each time they queried the bills, they allegedly received no assistance,” it said.

The Public Protector held consultations with the complainants between 2019 and 2021 where residents’ main complaints were around utility estimates for water and electricity consumption.

It said it found it was partly true that Tshwane had billed consumers irregularly for water and electricity, based on estimated consumption due to its failure to take meter readings regularly.

Earlier this year, Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo assured residents that, as of June, 90% of water and electricity bills were based on accurate readings.

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