City Power and Johannesburg Water have both announced that they are taking over their billing functions from the City of Johannesburg (CoJ).

According to City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena, this move is much more than a mere administrative exercise.

“We have taken on 56 new staff members who work under the finance department at City Power, joining a team of experienced revenue enhancement specialists.

“We have also set up a dedicated unit to deal with billing query resolutions.”

Mangena adds that by taking over this function, the entity aims to drastically reduce billing errors, speed up query resolution, making the entity more responsive, accountable, and customer-focused.

“To support this shift, City Power has launched a city-wide, stand-by-stand meter audit across our Service Delivery Centres aimed at verifying the status of every meter and ensuring each is properly linked to the correct customer account.

“These audits are critical for identifying customers who may have previously been unaccounted for, resolving inherited inaccuracies, and determining where further support may be needed.

“Our teams are on the ground across Johannesburg, engaging with communities and ensuring no customer is left behind.”

Johannesburg Water’s managing director, Ntshavheni Mukwevho, says by taking over the entity’s water and sanitation billing function from the CoJ, the entity will be better positioned to respond directly to customers’ queries, address discrepancies swiftly, and introduce innovation to improve customer service.

Ward 70 councillor Caleb Finn says he is carefully optimistic about the move that is aimed at improving the billing crisis the CoJ currently faces.

“It is, however, going to take consistent and dedicated effort to reverse the years of problems that have accumulated into the billing crisis. I am not yet convinced that the entities have the necessary skills internally to do so. Unfortunately, only time will tell whether this plan succeeds.”