Prepaid consumers in for a shock if their municipal accounts are in arrears
One of the strategies the municipality is going to implement in July is pre-paid customers who are in arrears will only receive a certain percentage of pre-paid electricity bought
Emalahleni Local Municipality is pulling out all the stops to collect what is owed to them.
“Only 53% of residents are paying their service delivery fees. That is one of our major concerns especially with the winter consumption that also plays a huge role,” said the chief financial officer of the municipality Ms Jabulile Hlatshwayo.
One of the strategies the municipality is going to implement in July is pre-paid customers who are in arrears will only receive a certain percentage of pre-paid electricity bought.
For accounts owing between 30 and 60 days 20% of the tendered amount will be deducted and allocated towards their municipal account that is in arrears.
Between 61 and 90 days will see 40% deducted, for accounts in arrears for 91 to 120 days a 50% will be deducted.
Accounts that are in arrears between 121 and 150 days will only get 40% of their prepaid purchase as 60% will go towards their municipal account.
Accounts owing between 151 and 180 days will see 70% go towards the arrears municipal account and residents who are in arrears for more than 181 days will only receive 20% of the pre-paid amount purchased.
On July 1 municipal tariffs increased.
Electricity increased by 8.1%.
“We introduced an incline block tariff. The more electricity you use, the more you will be paying per unit. That applies to conventional electricity meters and prepaid meters,” Mofokeng said.
The same goes for water.
To encourage residents to save on water, a water conservation fee was put into action.
Again the more water you use, the more you will be paying.
The water conservation fee will be triggered when consumption is 31kl and more.
“We know the COVID-19 pandemic has created chaos. Some residents can’t afford electricity, and some are illegally connected because they are unemployed and some survive on social grants. But we also have an obligation towards Eskom and they want their payment,” said Mr Lebo Mofokeng municipal spokesperson.
Mofokeng urges the public to pay their municipal accounts.
