Recognise City Power engineers during meter replacements

City Power has been experiencing an upsurge in customer queries in recent months pertaining to City Power officials requesting access to customers’ properties for meter reading purposes.

The utility is continuing with its ongoing efforts to replace inaccessible, bridged or bypassed meters, as well as those meters which are considered to be faulty or old, with smart meters for the purposes of improving billing accuracy, updating customer details and providing real-time readings.

According to MMC of Environment and Infrastructure Services in the City of Johannesburg, Anthony Still, some of the old mechanical meters have been replaced as they do not possess the benefits of the more technologically advanced smart meters.

Still added that manual meter readings in areas where City Power does not have a smart meter footprint are critical to ensuring consumers who use conventional electricity are billed for actual electricity consumed.

“The City is committed to ending billing estimates and we advise the residents of Johannesburg to expect visits from City Power’s meter installation and audit teams and [to] grant them access to their properties for this project. Customer safety is a priority for the City of Johannesburg, we also encourage homeowners to verify City Power technicians and contractor officials first by checking their uniforms and their ID cards before allowing any individual onto their property,” said Still.

Ward 74 councillor Dave Fisher encouraged residents to check the technicians and contractors’ cards which they are required to carry at all times when they are on-duty. “If the customer is unsure, they can verify the credentials of the City Power technicians by calling City Power’s Risk Control Department on 011 490 7900/7911/7553,” Fisher said.

In terms of Section 23 (1) of the Electricity Act 41 of 1987 read with Section 101 of the Local Government Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 as well as Section 33 (1) of the electricity bylaws, “Any person authorised thereto in writing by an undertaker may at all times enter any premises to which electricity has been supplied by such undertaker, in order to inspect the lines, meters, fittings, works and apparatus belonging to such undertaker or for the purpose of ascertaining the quantity of the electricity consumed, or where a supply is no longer required, or where such undertaker may cut off the supply for the purpose of removing any line, meters, fittings, works and apparatus belonging to such undertaker.”

Where there is a need for a smart meter installation and customer availability clashes with City Power’s schedule, the customer is requested to contact the City Power Call Centre on 011 490 7484 during office hours to arrange a convenient time for a City Power contractor official to return and assess the meter.

Read: City Power replaces faulty and inaccessible meters

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