Credit and prepaid electricity
Most of us might wonder what is the difference between prepaid and credit electricity. If one wants to install a prepaid meter what are the costs and processes that go with it? The most important question is which is more cost effective. NOLUTHANDO MKHIZE and JABULILE NYANDENI had a brief talk with Electricity Unit Senior Marketing Officer, Vincent Zondi, who unpacks these questions.
Zondi starts out the conversation by explaining that there is no cost difference in purchasing electricity on a prepaid system or a credit one. They both have the same tariff rate of 93.71 c/kWh. With a prepaid system you pay for electricity first then use it, in a credit system you use electricity and then you pay for it. “Prepaid is pre-purchase electricity and there is no need for meter readers. Credit or conventional electricity requires a meter reader to read the meter and find out how much electricity has been used.
The meter reader will then load this reading against your account and a bill will be generated,” explained Zondi. With the conventional or credit method there is a computerised system that calculates the exact amount of electricity used based on the information that is given by the meter reader. Each resident has the option to do their own meter reading and contact the Municipality should they feel that their meter has been incorrectly read. Meter readings for residential households are generally carried out once every three months. The prepaid sysem allows customers to use electricity in a controlled manner and people can budget for their electricity usage accordingly.
Zondi continued to unpack and explain the process of applying for prepaid electricity. The eThekwini Municipality charges a subsidised connection fee of R300 for low income house holds where the size of the property is less than 40 square meters. If the property is more than 40 square meters then the resident has to pay a higher connection cost. To further assist the low income communities, the Municipality provides free basic electricity of 65 kWh per month to low income households that consume less than 150kWh per month. “The installation process takes between one to three months provided that there is an electricity network in the area.” Residents who want to go for the prepaid version must contact eThekwini Municipality Electricity Customer Services and bring their Identity Document and proof of residence.
Zondi said during the month of April they were embarking on an energy saving campaign where representatives from the Electricity Unit are situated across 25 malls in the Municipality. They were exchanging the old incandescent light bulbs with the new improved energy efficient type and providing energy saving advise to passing customers. “How the process works is, residents must come with their old globes which they are currently using in exchange for new ones. We also have another energy saving initiative where residents can register at our stall in the malls to receive an energy saving equipment. Residents will receive geyser timer, water saving shower head and a geyser blanket for free. This is done by an independent contractor working with Eskom and the Municipality.” There is also a door to door campaign where certain regions who received energy saving bulbs in 2006 and 2008 are being revisited and receiving energy saving bulbs.
Residents who need more information regarding credit and prepaid electricity and the energy saving campaign can call the Electricity Call centre on 080 13 13 111. The energy saving campaign concludes at the end of April. Some of the malls that residents can vist are Pavilion, Gateway, Umlazi Mega City, Bridge City, Musgrave Centre, Galleria and Chatsworth Centre.