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City Power cracks down on meter bypassing at Kliptown Square flats

R14k+ fines issued as City Power cracks down on meter tampering at the JOSHCO flats.

City Power (CP) took decisive action against electricity theft at the Johannesburg Social Housing Company (JOSHCO) flats in Kliptown Square, disconnecting over 120 illegally bypassed prepaid meters on January 15.

This operation follows alerts from residents to CP about meter tampering after the token identifier (TID) rollover project last November.

The power was disconnected and residents were issued with hefty fines for tampered prepaid meters.

In response, the utility’s revenue protection team, supported by law enforcement, launched a large-scale disconnection operation.

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Technical teams removed the tampered meters and the circuit breakers to prevent illegal reconnections.

Residents found tampering with their meters now face stiff penalties, with fines exceeding R14 000 for single-phase connections and potentially more than R30 000 for three-phase connections.

CP spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the state-owned power utility would no longer tolerate this behaviour, stressing that all customers must pay for their electricity.

Over 120 flats in Kliptown left without power as City Power disconnects tampered meters.

“Bypassing meters not only undermines the system but also puts additional strain on the community and creates safety risks for residents,” he said.

This operation is part of a broader CP campaign to combat electricity theft and normalise the use of prepaid meters across its eight service delivery centres.

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“Officials have pledged to intensify audits and enforcement efforts to identify and penalise those engaging in such illegal practices in the coming weeks.

City Power pulls the plug on illegal connections.

CP has strongly warned against bribing technicians or paying people to bypass meters and urges residents to report such activities to its security risk management team on 011 490 7900/11 or via WhatsApp on 083 579 4497.

“This crackdown is a clear message to all residents that we are committed to ensuring fair electricity supply and holding those responsible for theft accountable,” Mangena said.

CP’s firm stance aims to discourage electricity theft, safeguard the community and maintain equitable access to power for all customers.

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