City Power aims to collect more than R4-billion owed by its customers
Over 37 000 accounts are in default with City Power.
City Power is embarking on an aggressive drive to collect outstanding debt from its customers across the City of Johannesburg.
The power utility is owed about R4.9-billion by customers who used electricity without paying for it, including large corporates, government departments and ordinary citizens.
City Power CEO Lerato Setshedi said, “Revenue collection impacts heavily on the sustainability of our business and is a key focus area – every cent counts.
“Without this revenue, we cannot invest in the necessary infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
“Our Revenue Enhancement Plan will actively engage those customers who owe us money and focus on recovering that debt.
“We will take action to motivate behavioural change, and having done so, we will not then apologise for cutting power supply.”
Over 37 000 accounts are in default with City Power.
Among them are 480 large power users, such as manufacturing and mines, over 10 400 businesses and 104 government departments, including schools, hospitals, some essential services, departmental offices and more than 26 600 outstanding residential accounts.
“We are asking customers to come forward voluntarily and settle their debts or make an arrangement to do so.
“We will be reaching out, engaging citizens, business forums and councillors about this campaign so they understand the link between our revenue collection and normalisation of services.
“If we are forced to disconnect customers due to non-payment, there will be fees associated with reconnections, including upfront payments,” Setshedi added.
Revenue collection function is centralised at the City of Johannesburg, and this campaign is the organisation’s effort to assist, especially with customers who owe or illegally use electricity.
The campaign will also focus strongly on illegal connections which contribute immensely to the revenue losses for the City.
For more information on how to pay outstanding electricity bill or make an arrangement to do so, visit the City of Johannesburg’s website
https://eservices.joburg.org.za/, or any of the multi-purpose centres in the regions.
