Editor – A great number of power outages are caused by the doors of prepaid boxes that are left open or cannot be closed.

ALSO READ: Elders feel ignored by CoE

This results in rainwater getting into the boxes causing power outages. I have written to the electrical engineer about this two or more years ago.

He is ignoring the problem.

I counted 20 boxes that are open in a 1km stretch in Leondale. The box for my connection has lost its door.

All these open doors are causing a lot of expense for travelling, overtime and damage to equipment.

I have suggested a remedy to keep the boxes closed. All that is needed is magnets to be fitted to all the doors to keep them closed.

From December 4 to 10, I only had electricity for 12 hours.

I am 78-years-old and cannot do without electricity to wash clothing and use a microwave oven.
Frank,

Bushbuck Lane
Leondale.

Editor’s comment – City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini, commented as follows:

The department thanks the resident for his proposal for a possible solution to open enclosures. Unfortunately, the use of magnets will not be a permanent solution.

We are experiencing numerous attacks on electrical infrastructure whereby criminal elements forcefully open or remove doors to electrical distribution and metering enclosures.

Structures are opened to steal or to make illegal connections. Older type enclosures had a simple locking mechanism where the doors could easily be broken open. The department is in process of replacing enclosures with tamper-resistant enclosures with no hinges on the outside and a smart locking mechanism, doing away with traditional padlocks.

Due to the sheer number of enclosures within the City, it is a process that will take several financial years to retrofit all existing enclosures with protective structures.

The roll-out of protective structures is subject to the availability of service providers and allocation of funding per financial year. multiple enclosures have been retrofitted over previous financial years and it will continue for the foreseeable future.

The department urges residents to report open structures. The department will arrange to make safe reported open boxes to limit unauthorised access and exposure.

Customers can report open structures at the call centre on 0860543000 or the My CoE App downloadable for smartphones.

Customers can follow up with the relevant energy depot on progress.