Ms Marietjie Fourie, DA councillor, explained how the new smart meters that Govan Mbeki Muncipality installed at some houses in Secunda and Bethal, work.
She said 20 000 smart meters are being installed at businesses and houses in the municipal area.
“The smart meter is a closed unit and cannot be accessed by the user, therefore you will not be able to visually see a meter reading on the unit,” said Ms Fourie.
“The installation is for the municipality’s costs and the accuracy of the meters are guaranteed.”
However, to have the meters tested, residents have to apply to the technical services department and pay R4 500.
Once residents have paid the fee, the meter will be removed by the service provider and send to an independent service provider to audit the accuracy of the meter.
Should the audit prove that the meter is accurate, the resident will forfeit the R4 500 because it will be used to cover the auditing costs.
Also read: Municipality installs new smart meters in Secunda
If the meter proves to be inaccurate, the resident will be credited for 24 months’ incorrect consumption.
All meters will be registered for online access once the project is fully implemented.
Once residents are registered online, they will have access to their meters via the website www.onlinemetering.com.
Residents will then be able to view their consumption, as well as a provisional statement and the previous month’s billings.
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