Electricity anti-theft measures bear fruit

The City of Ekurhuleni’s meter management system, which is used to detect potential electricity theft, has flagged 98 customers in Alra Park Extension Two and Ceruitville in Nigel for not buying electricity in the last three months.

The city will apply the sanctions below, in line with the standard procedure, as per the city’s policy:

• Disconnection of supply, as a result of meter tampering;
• A reinstatement fee will be issued, this being R2 958 plus VAT.  This fee is payable in full before the supply will be restored;
• Back-billing will be effected, for a period of up to 36 months.  This amount often approaches a value of R30 000 and more;
• The meter will continue to be audited, and any further attempts to tamper with the installation will be met with more disconnections and reinstatement fees, also arrest and criminal prosecution;
• As a last resort, the electricity supply may be removed altogether.

READ: City of Ekurhuleni receives unqualified audit opinion

During the auditing process of meter boxes it was established that a number of prepaid meters were tampered with, either to connect electricity illegally or to steal some electrical components inside the main municipal supply meter boxes.

For this specific area only, the city loses 30 per cent of the electricity supplied, estimated to cause a loss in excess of R100,000 per month.

This value is based on lost municipal sales, as well as the consumption that must still be paid to the city bulk supplier of electricity.

These criminal activities then lead to damages on the electrical equipment and network failure due to overloading and faulty connections.

The city has cautioned residents against tampering with meter boxes.

To deal with the electricity theft, the city is installing protective components on its meter boxes.

This include installation of protective structures with remotely controlled locking mechanisms.

READ: Fight against illegal connections continues

Replacing and repairing the vandalised meter boxes will commence at the end of March and will be completed by June.

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