Living alone in Nigel Road, Selcourt, he couldn’t understand why he was being charged a huge amount for electricity.
About two months ago, he visited the Springs municipal offices to try and establish the cause of the problem.
Gale was told by a municipal worker that the amount is an estimation as new meters were installed.
According to him, nobody bothered to take the meter reading the month after the installation.
“After receiving my recent account it was a mere R300 less than the previous ridiculous amount,” he says.
He is hardly at home and his washing is not done at his house.
He says he cannot afford to take time off work every time the metro decides to estimate and choose what they should charge on his account.
Gale would prefer to take his own meter readings and a photograph, and send it to the metro.
Metro spokesman Themba Gadebe says readings were obtained on July 21 to correct the interim charges levied on Gale’s account.
The billing for July was run on July 22, which will levy the consumption from May 14 to July 21.
Gadebe states the reversal of interim charges has been processed on the account and they will ensure that actual readings are obtained on a monthly basis.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused,” he says.
