A new feature of the reloaded project is a BXCSA customer portal – go to https://bxcsa.co.za/global/ – on which all electricity account holders regardless of whether they already have a smart meter installed or not can now log in with their account number and update by mobile phone or PC.

With the most advanced prepaid smart meter project in Gauteng, service provider BXCSA plans in coming months to reactivate close to 1000 already-installed smart meters in Extension One, Three Rivers, along with fixing and maintaining 450 street lights in the same area.

The combined smart meter and street light reactivation – and later new smart meter installations – is expected to impact positively on service delivery, infrastructure safety and improved quality of life throughout Emfuleni as it rolls out in coming years.

“Street light reactivation is an added BXCSA social responsibility project running wherever smart meters are reactivated or new installations are done,” said Dawid Dirks, BXCSA Project Manager.

Organised business and community stakeholders have welcomed the return of an upgraded smart meter programme to Emfuleni and lauded the BXCSA drive to fix street lights wherever smart meters are activated or installed for both residents and business.

“By giving back consumers control over their accounts, BXCSA also helps combat crime and grime by fixing street lights wherever they go – adding hugely to safety and quality of life in such areas,” said Klippies Kritzinger, President of the Golden Triangle Chamber of Commerce (GTCoC).

This sentiment was echoed by Vereeniging Business Cooperation (VBC) MD Kevin Jackson:
“VBC is highly active in both repairing and protecting municipal infrastructure in Vereeniging and BXCSA’s smart meter reactivation and street light project dovetails with our plans to make these areas and service delivery safer for residents, business and infrastructure.”

The Three Rivers project reactivation of both smart meters and street lights is expected to be complete by 18 August 2022, after which BXCSA will enter another project area, said Dirks.

BXCSA is now back with not only an upgraded IT support system but also a new 24/7 Call Centre. Call 016 100 6170 for any inquiries and on BXCSA procedures for reactivation in Three Rivers.

Emfuleni residents – now even more punch-drunk from rising costs and service delivery interruptions – have also in many areas demanded the return of the smart meter programme since it was terminated in mid-2019.

About 7 000 smart meters were already installed in Emfuleni by BXCSA during a previous project which ended in 2019. These will now again be switched on area by area as the kick-off phase of the reloaded programme before large-scale new installations are done.

The benefit of smart meters is giving consumers control in real time over their electricity purchases and usage – to be followed later by water – through monitoring of their Customer Interface Unit (CIU) in homes and businesses, and even identifying trends indicating power theft.