City Power launches meter audits in Hursthill, residents told to beware of fraudsters

City Power has initiated a comprehensive meter auditing programme across Hursthill Service Delivery Centre (SDC) areas, commencing on Wednesday.

According to the utility, the programme, which will initially focus on Region B, aims to ensure accurate customer billing without causing service interruptions.

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the audits will continue through February 28, with no disconnections planned during the verification process.

The initiative follows November 2024’s Token Identifier (TID) rollover project, highlighting the utility’s commitment to proper metering for all customers.

“The audits will mainly focus on areas in Region B, until further notice. This programme seeks to ensure the accuracy of billing. Therefore, no customer will be disconnected during this process,” City Power stated in their advisory.

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City Power requests customer cooperation amid meter audits

Residents are being asked to provide access to City Power-appointed contractors who will need to examine meters on residential properties.

The utility emphasised the importance of this cooperation to complete the audit successfully by March.

“Following the Token Identifier (TID) rollover project in November 2024, it is crucial that all customers within our jurisdiction, including those previously not vending, are properly metered, ensuring that they are paying for the electricity they use daily,” the statement continued.

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Security measures in place

Acknowledging potential security concerns, City Power has implemented identification protocols to protect residents from potential scams.

All authorised meter readers will carry official identification cards with full names and photographs.

“City Power is also aware of the safety concerns during this process as criminals could take advantage by presenting themselves as our employees or contractors,” the utility warned, adding that “The City Power meter readers will carry ID cards with full names and pictures of the individuals.”

For verification purposes, residents can contact the City Power security control room at 011 490 7553/7504/7900/7911 to confirm the identity of anyone claiming to represent the utility.

“We strongly caution customers not to open their properties to any individual who does not have the identification stated in the communication,” City Power advised.

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Meter audits phased implementation

The utility indicated that this current audit represents just the first phase of a broader initiative.

Additional audits will be conducted at other service delivery centres in the coming weeks, with residents to receive advance notification through local councillors and community outreach programs.

The meter audit programme is expected to help City Power maintain accurate billing records while ensuring all customers are properly accounted for within the system following last year’s technical updates.

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