Where does reading originate?

I RELIGIOUSLY read my water meter and phone in my reading on the day the next reading should be as per my monthly statement.

I did this on March 3 as per my statement – “next reading 3 March” – which showed a reading of 1 637.

I have now received a statement with a reading of 1 670, issuing me with a R2 343.22 water bill.

My current reading is 1 645 as at April 4 (the day the meter was scheduled to be read as per my latest statement).

Today [the day of writing] is April 6 and no one has been here to read the meter.

My gates are constantly locked and hence my phoning my readings through.

Where do the meter readers get their information from?

I am a retired individual who is on the premises 90% of the time.

Surely someone could make an effort to notify me to open the gates and let them correlate my readings?

I have averaged 7.5kl per month for the past year and have done my bit to save water in a household of four.

Now I receive a bill for 40kl usage for a month. Oh please!

And please don’t come with the story that I must first pay up before the error is rectified.

Don’t try to phone anyone to explain the problem, because no one can help – that is if they choose to answer the phone.

I had high hopes when the DA took over this metro.

Nothing has changed – incompetency still rules.