City Power: we’ve got the power
I am horrified at the action of City Power contractors who jumped over my 90-year old mother’s wall to install a new meter.
City Power’s greed is driven subcontractors who are taking the fitment of smart meters to a whole new level. This issue is so critical that residents of Joburg must be made aware as it could happen to them as well.
My mom resides on the property. The previous electricity meter was properly functioning without any billing issues whatsoever and was monthly read by the meter reading company contracted for the area.
To further ensure the resident is charged strictly in accordance with consumption, the boom guard would escort the meter readers to the box to verify the reading, obtain a second reading, the name of the reader, date, time and car registration number.
The statement due at the end of October 2018 was showing two electricity meter serial numbers – the old which was there and a new smart meter.
When I called the city to inquire I was told the old meter was removed and a new one, a smart meter was installed without notifying me.
Since no proper procedure was followed to notify and/or arrange for such an installation it became evident that the City Power subcontractor employees actually broke into the property by scaling the wall. A case for house breaking and an illegal entry was opened at the Bramley SAPS.
Since the readings are now transmitted and read by the city, there is no second verification by the security guard, which is of deep concern.
CITY POWER REPLIES: The relationship between City Power and its customers is that City Power will always respect the privacy of its customers, their properties and residences The utility does not encourage its contractors to jump over walls. In actual fact, it condemns this behaviour.
In its communication with customers, City Power urges residents not to allow contractors or employees of City Power to access their properties if they cannot be positively identified as coming from City Power. We have also put out phone numbers residents can contact should they need to identify its contractors and employees.
These numbers
011 490 7911/7553/7900.
In this specific case of this Kew resident, City Power management team engaged the customer on their metering query which was resolved. They got a new smart meter installed. The case laid with Bramley Police has been withdrawn and the customer is satisfied with the service he got from City Power.