The deadline will have no effect  on Emfuleni electricity customers with BXC smart meters.

Increasing concern has been expressed if municipalities across the country – including Emfuleni – will meet the November 24 IT upgrade deadline – leaving residents and businesses with traditional prepaid meters without electricity supply or the means to purchase power.

But Emfuleni smart meter service provider BXC has again given the assurance that those already on its electricity smart meters by November 24 have nothing to fear in terms of supply or purchasing of electricity.

BXC smart meters are managed on its own IT and vending system completely independent from the old prepaid meters so there is no reason for those with smart meters to panic, said BXC.

Smart meter consumers can call BXC at their Vanderbijlpark call centre at 016 100 6170 for further information, or at 087 147 2580 or WhatsApp 063 676 0397.

• Prepaid electricity in South Africa must be upgraded by 24 November 2024 to comply with the standard Transfer Specification Association (STSA).
• After the deadline meters will no longer accept electricity tokens unless they are updated.
  The meters can be updated after customers receive a set of two 20-digit key change tokens with their next electricity purchase.
• These tokens must be inserted into the meter to update the software.
• The meter upgrade process also functions as a form of audit for municipalities to determine which prepaid meters are functional and which have been by-passed.
• According to available information, the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) has about 70 000 prepaid meters installed but only about 19 000 are thought to be generating revenue for the cash-strapped local authority.