When City Power estimates the amount due on electricity bills it makes the estimate based on the average consumption usually over the preceding 12 months.
This is according to City Power spokesperson Sol Masolo, who responded to an enquiry involving a meter in Northwold that had not been read for more than six months.
The meter belonging to Henry Brown (70) was last read for the period 6 August to 3 September 2013 because a swarm of bees had made a hive in the box.
Brown would not ask a beekeeper to resolve the issue for him as he believed the problem was City Power’s responsibility.
He contacted City Power on 4 February and was told they were limited in their ability to resolve the situation because it was not an electrical problem but a technical one.
Nevertheless City Power said they would investigate the problem
To date City Power has been estimating Brown’s bills and according to him he received a bill of R52 000 a few months ago. He was told to pay or his electricity would be cut off.
“We have made arrangements to pay,” he said. “I find this totally unacceptable.”
Masolo said City Power sometimes encountered problems such as Brown’s and that City Power would soon hire a company to remove the bees from his meter.
Details: City Power 011 375 5555.
