No smart meter respite
JOBURG - ESTIMATED billing and inflated readings continue to plague residents, despite City Power’s assurances that smart meter problems are few and far between.
“Smart meters are meant to be read remotely. It is only in the event where it has been tampered or interfered with that it may not read remotely,” said City Power spokesperson Sydney Mphahlele in response to one Sydenham resident’s prolonged smart meter battle.
“The challenge with smart meter reading is not a widespread problem,” Mphahlele added.
Readers responded with a vehement disagreements and a long list of smart meter woes.
Pensioner Margaret Malan (70), has not received a correct bill in four months, despite calls and visits to City Power, as well as two inspections by City of Joburg officials. Instead, she has received increasingly high estimated readings.
“My meter has not been tampered or interfered with, I have sent monthly readings to City Power (with photographs), and my meter shows a correct reading each month. They still insist on billing me with an estimated reading of four times the amount I have used,” Malan complained.
Malan’s experiences echo those of numerous readers who have received inflated readings, discovered that meters are not connected, and had little response to queries.
“My smart meter went out of its own accord… neither my husband nor I touched it… I still have the SMS I sent to [the installer], saying that it had lost its connection in early March this year,” wrote another resident.
A third reader was informed in September that her smart meter was not connected to the system, and told to expect a visit, but three weeks later, had received no communication.
A guide to the smart meter experience, issued by Ward 117 councillor, Tim Truluck, recommends checking the quality of installation, and the meter’s registration on the system, before the installer leaves.
In response to high estimated readings, residents should pay their average bill, and City Power can be contacted via Twitter, the call centre or the nearest walk-in centre.
Residents who have experienced no satisfaction from such channels, however, echo the frustration in Malan’s statement, “I now do not know what to do anymore to get this sorted out.”
Details: @citypowerjhb; www.citypower.co.za; 087 022 0540; smartmetersupport@citypower.co.za
Related article:
