Understanding the power disconnection process

Navigating power disconnections can be daunting, but knowing the process and your options can save you time and money.
Discover how to avoid service interruptions, what charges to expect, and the steps for reconnection, ensuring you stay connected and informed.

According to the City of Johannesburg, being without power is a huge inconvenience. However, continued failure to pay your municipal accounts will lead you to have your services disconnected.

Apart from the hassle, it will also cost you to have your services reconnected.

Final Demand Notice

The Final Demand Notice is a legal notice that informs the consumer that payments are in arrears and a final demand for the payment of all outstanding amounts is made, with notification that if the demand is not met or an arrangement made with the City’s Credit Control Department, normally within 14 days, the supply of that service will be disconnected.

Charges for the disconnection will be included in your account. Once the full payment of the amount due or arrangements to pay off the amount has been signed with the city, a reconnection of services order will be issued.

Read more: Planned power interruption and road closure to affect Alexandra

The city will issue the reconnection order and send a contractor to reconnect your meter. The reconnection of your services takes up to 72 hours to be fully effected.

Pre Termination Notice

If you fail to pay your electricity account after 30 days of the date of the statement, the city will send you a pre-termination notice. You must respond to this within 14 days. The charge for this notice is R273.00.

Level 1 disconnection

A first-level electricity disconnection is a disconnection action that will be undertaken, normally by simply switching off the electricity in a lockable distribution box situated remotely from where the consumption takes place.

Should the Final Demand Notice be ignored and payment not made within the prescribed time, the first-level electricity disconnection will normally be effected immediately.

Level 2 disconnection

A second-level electricity disconnection is normally the removal of the circuit breaker. A second-level electricity disconnection normally follows within days of an illegal consumption inspection that has established an illegal electricity connection has been made.

Level 3 disconnection

Should illegal consumption continue, the customer’s account is referred to a special credit control process for ‘Remove Installation Permanently’ (RIP) action, with recommendations that the supply installations be permanently removed.

If a Level 3 disconnection is performed and you have paid your account or made arrangements to pay, you will be required to pay a new service connection, as a Level 3 reconnection is considered to be a new connection.

For a new connection you will need to:

• Submit proof of debt settlement / a debt arrangement letter from the city.
• Complete a New Service Connection at our Customer Service Centre near you
• Produce a Certificate of Compliance (COC) from an accredited electrician.

It will take a minimum of 21 days to activate this new connection.

Electricity disconnection/reconnection charges

Level 1: Disconnection and reconnection at the power meter costs R691.01 including VAT.

Level 2: Disconnection and reconnection at the power supply cost R691.01 including VAT.

Level 3: Disconnect and reconnect the power supply (Single phase)

• Bypassed, bridged or tampered meter and or not buying electricity. The customer pays R3 747.83 excluding VAT for miscellaneous charges plus a reconnection fee of R6 100 for an existing or new meter box to be provided on the boundary that requires a new service cable.
• In total, the customer pays R11 325 including VAT, and it is according to bylaws section 23 of Tampering and City Power reconnection tariff.

Also read: City Power condemns threats against its technicians

Level 3: Disconnect and reconnect the power supply (Three phase)

Bypassed, bridged or tampered meter or not buying electricity units. The customer pays R3 747.83 excluding VAT for miscellaneous charges plus a reconnection fee of R14 300 for an existing or new meter box to be provided on the boundary that requires a new service cable.

• In total, the customer pays R20 755 including VAT and it is according to bylaws section 23 of Tampering and City Power disconnection tariff.

For each disconnection and each reconnection of supply:

• Disconnection notification only: R145.28 including VAT
• Request by customer: R685.14 including VAT
• Due to charges in arrears: R685.14 including VAT
• Illegally reconnected conventional supply: R2 635.29 including VAT
• Meter tampering/prepaid meter bypass/illegal connection: R2 635.29 including VAT

Once this amount is paid you will need to go to a City Power depot and apply and pay for a new connection and meter.

Settling overdue accounts after services are disconnected

If services have been removed, you will have to make full payment of the outstanding balance and show your proof of payment before services will be reconnected.

All accounts have to be paid in cash or debit/credit card at 61 Jorissen Street Thuso House, Braamfontein. A clearance certificate for services must be obtained from the Credit Management department to enable the customer to re-apply for the services at the utilities.

If you can’t pay the amount in full you must make an arrangement to pay the amount off over time. You must then come in person to a Customer Service Centre in Braamfontein, Roodepoort, Randburg, Sandton or Midrand to make an arrangement.

Once payment has been made, or an arrangement has been set up, call the Joburg Connect call centre on 0860 562 874 or 0860-Jorbug to register your payment and to get a reference number.

Fax proof of payment, with your reference number, to 011 358 3164. Call back in 30 minutes to confirm if your reconnection has been processed.

Reconnection of services can take up to 72 hours. Proof of payment received before 16:30 will ensure same-day processing, otherwise, it will take place the next day.

Follow us on our Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok pages. Join our WhatsApp group for any story ideas you may have.

Related article: City Power disconnects services to recover R21.5m