The Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) was still assessing the situation last week but early indications were that 95% of municipal clients – businesses and residences – upgraded their meters before or on the deadline of 24 November at 23:00, said spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni.

However, the 95% figure did not include Eskom meters in certain Emfuleni areas or the roughly 3 000 prepaid BXC smart meters already installed for ELM in Emfuleni.

It is believed that the ELM figures cover about 100 000 meters falling under the municipality but no figures were yet available from ELM, said Sangweni.

The pre-paid meter upgrade will now also place ELM in a position to identify and act against bypasses that have been afflicting municipal revenue collection for decades, with an estimated R9 billion owed to ELM by businesses and residents.

Government Departments are also said to owe ELM almost R1 billion.

ELM has launched (under National Treasury auspices) a major revenue enhancement and security strategy to stimulate revenue streams.

It has also signed an agency agreement with Eskom whereby the bulk utility manages ELM’s electricity infrastructure and revenue and pays the municipality its share.

The National Treasury has also granted ELM access to its municipal debt relief programme on its R7 billion debt to Eskom.

One major condition of the Treasury Municipal Debt Relief programme is that ELM must dramatically expand and intensify its BXC smart meter programme, which amongst other benefits also instantly picks up when meters are bypassed.

A recent crackdown on BXC smart meter bypassing has netted ELM millions in lost revenue and fines of R10 000 for by-passed residences and R40 000 for businesses.