Meters bring revolt

RESIDENTS of Orlando West in Soweto burnt tyres and barricaded streets yesterday to protest against the installation of prepaid electricity meters in their homes by Eskom.

Soweto owes Eskom more than R8-billion‚ and the installation of the prepaid meters is part of a programme aimed at controlling the municipalities’ soaring Eskom debt.

Residents already with installed meters said they paid an average of R1 000 a month. They claim that prior to the meters their bills had totalled only R300 a month. – BDLive