Energy

THE CITY OF EKURHULENI DISCOURAGES ELECTRICITY METER TAMPERING AND ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS WITH PUNITIVE FINES AND REMOVAL OF CONNECTIONS FOR OFFENDERS

By Thulasizwe City of Ekurhuleni 4343

The City of Ekurhuleni strongly condemns illegal electricity connections, meter bypassing and ghost vending. These actions compromise the financial integrity of municipal utilities and pose serious risks to public safety, service reliability, and the overall stability of the economy.

Tampering with meters, illegal connections, and token bridging places significant strain on the city’s resources. These activities lead to frequent repairs of substations, increased operational costs, and ultimately delay service delivery to law-abiding electricity users. They also contribute to the premature exhaustion of the city’s budget.

To address this, the city imposes miscellaneous charges on individuals who tamper with electricity meters. These charges include the cost of removing and re-instating a service connection due to tampering. The fee is calculated based on the estimated cost of materials, labour, and transport, plus an additional 10%, with a minimum charge of R5 566.07.

Repeat offenses attract escalating penalties:

Second offence: Penalty fee is doubled.

Third offence: Penalty fee is tripled.

Fourth offence: The electricity service connection will be permanently removed, and all related costs will be charged to the customer’s account.

In addition to financial penalties, offenders may also be prosecuted under municipal by-laws and other applicable legislation.

The city is also pleading with residents to avoid buying cheaper electricity tokens circulating on digital platforms, as these are scams. Residents are encouraged to only purchase electricity from the municipality, Eskom or registered, NERSA-compliant resellers, most of which have their tokens sold at the retailers.

Support for Indigent Households

The city understands that some residents may struggle to afford electricity. If you are unable to pay for electricity, you are encouraged to apply for assistance through the city’s Indigent Support Programme. Eligible households can receive essential relief in line with national and municipal criteria.

Relief is granted monthly, subject to the city’s policies and budget availability.

For more information or to apply, please visit your nearest Customer Care Centre or go to the City’s website at www.ekurhuleni.gov.za