Background
• The enclosures are pole mounted electronically activated metering enclosures.
• The enclosures are installed on distribution poles.
• There are current low voltage service connection cables connected to the distribution poles with the service connection protection circuit breaker installed on top of the poles inside a vulnerable pole top box.
• ±7000 kWh meters are still installed inside the dwellings in the Brakpan Central, Dalview, Brenthurst and Anzac areas.
Advantages/purposes for the installation of these enclosures:
• The enclosures will replace the existing protection circuit breakers pole top switchgear boxes, which will be more secure and better protected.
The current pole top boxes are not in a good condition and more than often are damaged by harsh weather conditions leaving the circuit breakers and connections in a vulnerable state.
It is also a challenge to reach some of these pole top boxes due to overgrown tree branches and the availability of specialised vehicles (cherry pickers).
• The enclosures are installed on a 1.5m height from the ground to make it easier for the response, repair and maintenance teams to gain access to the installed equipment. This will also shorten the response time to attend to no power complaints and the use of specialised vehicles are minimised because you don’t need a cherry picker to attend to a single house connection. More people are now available to attend to complaints because most of the fleet is LDVs.
It is always a risk working with a cherry picker and with this installation height is also minimised.
• Service connection cables can be easily repaired and installed delivering a better and faster service to the customer.
• Maintenance, inspections and repairs are much more easier and more cost effective with the enclosures installed at a height of 1.5m
• Energy meters still installed inside the property of the dwellings will be moved out into these enclosures. There is always a battle with meter readings, meter tampering or access to these meters inside dwellings, which are making maintenance, repairs and inspections a nightmare.
It will also minimise meter tampering which will ensure that Ekurhuleni recovers its revenue effectively.
• These type of enclosures are not mechanically locked and therefore management of keys and normal padlocks are a thing of the past ,which is a headache currently
• There are strict access control measures in place to ensure tampering is minimised.
• The enclosures are mapped on GIS based software to assist the repair and response teams to attend to complaints more effectively.
The electronically activated enclosures are controlled and monitored and remotely operated ensuring the following:
Revenue Enhancement Improvement
Meter tampering, vandalism, misuse of electricity, illegal connections, non-paying customers and theft are the major components in preventing the EMM of collecting all the entitled revenue for services delivered.
Continuous firm and safe electrical supply to consumers
To ensure all electrical equipment is protected against tampering, vandalism and theft will ensure that this goal can be achieved.
Reduction in energy losses
To ensure that misuse of electricity, tampering and illegal connections are monitored controlled and responded to will ensure that this goal can be achieved.
Reduction in maintenance
Reduction in electricity maximum demand
When misuse of electricity, tampering and illegal connections are monitored and controlled maximum demand will also decrease.
Increased safety compliance
A reduction in vandalism
Reduction in nuisance power failures
To ensure all electrical equipment is protected against tampering, vandalism and theft will ensure that this goal can be achieved.
Reduction in illegal connections
To ensure that misuse of electricity, tampering and illegal connections are monitored controlled and responded to will ensure that this goal can be achieved.
Reduction in illegal tampering
To ensure that misuse of electricity, tampering and illegal connections are monitored controlled and responded to will ensure that this goal can be achieved.
Improvement of access control
Strict access control, monitor and response management
Reduction in nuisance standby call-outs
Strict access control, monitor and response management is playing a critical role in achieving this goal
Maintaining standardisation and consistency
When systems installed have the same functionality and utilises more or less similar equipment / spares / material than it makes maintaining those systems in-house more user friendly, cost and time effective.
Asset auditing and tracking
Location and details of the enclosures for proper audit and asset tracking purposes.
Compiling of regular inspection intervals
Regular inspections can be professionally conducted through a job card system when assets are properly located through an asset location / tracking database.
Maintenance and repair job card tracking
Issuing repair / maintenance job cards from inspection results and build a history of each installed enclosure.
Installation of enclosures
• These enclosures are only installed for overhead service connection customers in the Brakpan Central, Dalview, Brenthurst and Anzac areas.
• Installations in the Brenthurst and Anzac areas are completed. Dalview will follow during the remainder of September 2016 until October / November 2016. Brakpan Central will follow in the new year, around March / April 2017.
Removal of meters inside the dwellings and installation into the new enclosures
• As from December 2016 the preparation for removing the existing meters from inside the property to the new enclosures will commence.
• There is a possibility that a large number of meters will be replaced with new pre-payment meters at no cost to the customer.
• All relevant role players will be informed before any meters are removed and installed in the new secure enclosures.
Also read: Electricity supply infrastructure expanded in Brakpan
Municipality warns of unlawful electricity operators
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