Warnings over impending deadline for TID programme
City Power urges co-operation to avoid infrastructure removal and additional costs following the Token Identifier programme for prepaid customers.
As the deadline for City Power’s (CP) initiative to convert prepaid meters to the Token Identifier (TID) approaches, the utility is facing resistance from customers, with many refusing to allow technicians to audit their meters.
CP introduced the TID programme to communities on August 15, 2023, where authorised agents conduct audits, reset, and replace pre-paid meters at no cost to customers. The programme rolled out to residents in the Roodepoort area from February to November this year.
According to CP spokesperson Isaac Mangena, the utility has been working hard to roll out the installation of smart meters to replace tampered meters without penalty. However, some communities have met this effort with resistance.
“We urge members of the community that no metering code upgrade will be done on bypassed hardware, and replacement is mandatory. Failure to convert metres will result in infrastructure removal and additional costs for customers, and we do not wish such for our customers as we would like to keep a positive relationship with them.
“Over 52% of prepaid meters customers recorded, and we would like to thank our amazing team at CP as well as those who cooperated. We urge the remaining few to do the same,” Mangena says.
Mangena adds that the smart meter project aims to address the ongoing energy challenge by allowing CP to reduce household energy use remotely, thereby addressing load-shedding.
