CITY Power is offering amnesty to its customers who have tampered with their electricity meters.
It is an opportunity for such customers to normalise their meters free of charge.
The amnesty period ends on June 30.
Affected customers are encouraged to register the matter with City Power at its head office at 40 Heronmere Road, Reuven, Booysens, or at their nearest customer service centre.
“Registering the tampered meter during this amnesty period helps the customer to avoid penalties such as reconnection fees and an average monthly consumption charge for the period the meter was not vending, namely, when no electricity was purchased.
“Once this is done, City Power technicians will come out to normalise the meter free of charge,” said Member of the Mayoral Committee for Infrastructure, Environment and Services, Clr Nico de Jager.
To register for amnesty, customers must bring the following documents:
• City of Johannesburg rates and taxes statement not older than three months
• Copy of green bar-coded ID
• Stand number
• Meter number
Meter tampering constitutes fraud and may result in criminal charges.
Customers will be held liable and no mercy will be shown to those found to have tampered with their meters after June 30, when the amnesty period ends.
Meter tampering is constituted by any action resulting in the breaking of a seal, the opening, adjustment or removal of a meter, bypassing a meter, opening of a meter box or interfering with the meter or municipal wiring, piping or other installations in any manner.
Meter tampering includes the following categories:
• Bypassed meters
• Faulty meters
• Faulty keypad (customer interactive unit)
• No meters (customer connected straight through)
• Stolen meters
• Meters bought illegally from electrical contractors/technicians
• Illegally connected meters
The amnesty is an opportunity to resume normal purchasing of electricity.
By registering tampered meters, customers will save a minimum R11 230 (the amount reached by adding a reconnection fee and average monthly consumption fee for a low-income household).
Failing which, not only will criminal charges be brought against them, but the meter will be disconnected and removed and a new meter will be installed at considerable cost. This amount will increase if the customer uses more electricity.
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