City Power Warns Customers: Upgrade Your Prepaid Meters Before Deadline or Face Disconnection and Penalties
City of Joburg's power utility, City Power, has issued a stern warning to non-vending prepaid electricity customers, urging them to upgrade their meters by Saturday, November 30, 2024. Failure to comply will result in power disconnections and penalties of up to R14,000 for single-phase meters and over R30,000 for three-phase meters.
Grace Period Extension
City Power initially set a November 24 deadline for meter upgrades but extended it to November 30 to assist non-vending customers. The utility's spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, said the extension followed an overwhelming influx of customers seeking assistance at Service Delivery Centres (SDCs) in areas like Lenasia and Alexandra.
"Our team is consolidating the numbers from the weekend and assisting more customers daily. The grace period for penalty-free upgrades has been extended to Saturday, November 30, 2024," Mangena stated.
Upgrading the Prepaid Meters
The meter upgrade involves converting from the old KRN1 (Key Revision Number 1) system to the new KRN2 system. Mangena emphasized that unconverted meters would no longer accept electricity tokens, effectively cutting off power supply.
"The power supply cut-off will be followed by a penalty fee, reinstated from Sunday, December 1, 2024," Mangena warned.
City Power has pre-generated key change tokens to assist customers with meter conversions. Customers who miss the November 30 deadline will still have until May 31, 2025, to access tokens from municipal vending machines, although penalties will apply after the extended deadline.
Avoiding Scams
Mangena cautioned customers against fraudulent activities during the upgrade process. "Do not pay any technician, contractor, or anyone claiming to be from City Power. Report such demands to our security risk management on 0800 002 587," he said.
Assistance for Customers
City Power's Service Delivery Centres remain open to handle Token Identifier (TID) queries and assist with prepaid meter upgrades. Additionally, metering technicians are actively replacing and installing new prepaid meters across the city.
The utility urged customers to act promptly to avoid service interruptions and hefty fines.
Grace Period Extension
City Power initially set a November 24 deadline for meter upgrades but extended it to November 30 to assist non-vending customers. The utility's spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, said the extension followed an overwhelming influx of customers seeking assistance at Service Delivery Centres (SDCs) in areas like Lenasia and Alexandra.
"Our team is consolidating the numbers from the weekend and assisting more customers daily. The grace period for penalty-free upgrades has been extended to Saturday, November 30, 2024," Mangena stated.
Upgrading the Prepaid Meters
The meter upgrade involves converting from the old KRN1 (Key Revision Number 1) system to the new KRN2 system. Mangena emphasized that unconverted meters would no longer accept electricity tokens, effectively cutting off power supply.
"The power supply cut-off will be followed by a penalty fee, reinstated from Sunday, December 1, 2024," Mangena warned.
City Power has pre-generated key change tokens to assist customers with meter conversions. Customers who miss the November 30 deadline will still have until May 31, 2025, to access tokens from municipal vending machines, although penalties will apply after the extended deadline.
Avoiding Scams
Mangena cautioned customers against fraudulent activities during the upgrade process. "Do not pay any technician, contractor, or anyone claiming to be from City Power. Report such demands to our security risk management on 0800 002 587," he said.
Assistance for Customers
City Power's Service Delivery Centres remain open to handle Token Identifier (TID) queries and assist with prepaid meter upgrades. Additionally, metering technicians are actively replacing and installing new prepaid meters across the city.
The utility urged customers to act promptly to avoid service interruptions and hefty fines.
