VANDERBIJLPARK – “The unfair conduct of the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) in slapping residents with excessive charges for faulty electricity and water meters can no longer be tolerated,” said Freedom Front Plus councillor Gerda Senekal.

Senekal said many of the affected residents had already reported their broken meters but were told replacements could not be installed due to a lack of municipal stock. In some cases, residents have allegedly been waiting up to three years for their meters to be replaced.

She also raised concerns about residents who use borehole water but are still being billed based on estimated usage.

“Some residents who approached the party reported receiving three years’ worth of estimated water and sewage charges in a single month. One resident received a water bill of R40 455 and a sewage charge of R6 649. Another, who uses borehole water exclusively, was billed R30 035 for water and R6 648 for sewage,” Senekal said.

She explained that, according to ELM’s 2025/26 tariff schedule, unreadable, faulty, or non-functional water meters are charged at a flat rate of 30 kilolitres per month.

“This tariff is unjust, as many residents do not consume that amount of water each month,” she said.

As for electricity usage, the party could not find any specific provisions outlining the process to follow when an electricity meter is out of order.

In a formal letter to the Department of Finance, the Freedom Front Plus raised several questions:

• What billing policy is applied when a water or electricity meter is faulty or unreadable for an extended period?
• Is a standard or estimated consumption rate used? If so, what is the fixed rate?
• Has this practice been applied consistently over the past three financial years?
• Do the municipal bylaws or credit control policies make provision for retrospective adjustments or dispute resolution when a billing error is confirmed?

“Emfuleni residents cannot continue to receive unfair treatment. The Freedom Front Plus will continue to put pressure on the municipality to ensure consumers are treated justly,” Senekal concluded.