**Yet Another - I Want To Convert To Prepaid Electricity Thread**

[Bundu]

Afterall, they cant really cut you off if you are using prepaid... right?

the retards should never have let you switch to prepaid, if your account wasn't fully paid, but I assume they could still cut your power - this efrica.....

[Zarathustra]

And the final update:

Six weeks & one day after application, we received a call that the installers were waiting outside the gate to do the Prepaid installation. When asked why they didn't SMS & let us know in advance we were told that a 'missed call' was given. Not sure how a 'missed call' from a number I don't know means that the Prepaid Meter Installers are outside one's gate makes sense, but this is Africa where nothing really makes sense in any case.

Anyway, the removal of the old meter & the installation of the new meter took about 10 minutes. The final meter reading of the old meter was written down on an official form which I had to sign.

I was given another metering device which must be plugged into any wall socket in the house. It has an LCD display which indicates KWH used, credit remaining, date, time & a couple of other things which I have no idea what they mean. I was told that it communicates with the main council meter which was installed, over the power lines, so it needs to be plugged into a wall socket & switched on permanently.

One is given a credit of R5.00 which means that an immediate purchase of units is required ASAP before the juice is automatically switched off. Units can be purchased online or a BP, Checkers, Spar & a plethora of other sources.

A quick trip to the local Spar (I wanted E-Bucks in exchange for my spend) & a R1000 later which translates into approximately 820 units & I am officially running on Prepaid.

If nothing else, Prepaid Electricity means that I will no longer receive estimated electricity readings for which I have to pay first & argue later. In addition, it has made the family & I VERY aware of the electricity being consumed & it isn't just a bunch of numbers any longer - since installation, we consume approximately R32 per day worth of units.

[Bundu]

thanks for the feedback - some good info there!

I was just wondering, who does the meter belong to and what happens if the meter is broken? Who repairs/replaces? Will you then sit without power?

[Zarathustra]

I think that the meter belongs to the council as it is vey clearly branded 'City Of Tshwane'.

I received a card along with the meter. The number printed on the card is used when buying units, so I assume that it is linked to the meter etc.

Also printed on the card is an emergency number, so perhaps this is what one phones when the meter goes up in smoke.

I will however try to find out what one does in such a situation, because it is actually something I would rather know in advance than have to find out after disaster has struck.

So, I will update once I have more information.

[Bundu]

I will however try to find out what one does in such a situation, because it is actually something I would rather know in advance than have to find out after disaster has struck.

So, I will update once I have more information.

great, thanks!

[Bundu]

I read in the paper today that Tswane increased the tariffs for pre-paid electricity - this true? How much a kWh now?

[Wasp_21]

Interesting. Would anyone know how to convert to prepaid if you classed as "rural" (Land type 1/2/3or4). Am so fed up with paying R900 before i switch on a light! Yup, R900 whether i use electricity or not. If i calculate at Prepaid rates, my cost per month drops from R1600 to R700 per month. Ridiculous. And i have been paying this for nearly 5 years. Local Eskom won't do sqwat to help me out. Any ideas?

[Bundu]

Interesting. Would anyone know how to convert to prepaid if you classed as "rural" (Land type 1/2/3or4). Am so fed up with paying R900 before i switch on a light! Yup, R900 whether i use electricity or not. If i calculate at Prepaid rates, my cost per month drops from R1600 to R700 per month. Ridiculous. And i have been paying this for nearly 5 years. Local Eskom won't do sqwat to help me out. Any ideas?

Sounds a bit weird... you are perhaps sitting on a stuffed meter or your meter's output is 'shared' by someone else....

I would fit my own meter if I can't be converted to pre-paid and compare with their meter - there are some remote monitors on the market for around R600 now

[Zarathustra]

Okay, so still struggling to find out what procedure to follow should the meter stop working...No useful information yet

The 'Emergency Number' directs to the City Of Tshwane, who don't seem to be able to answer any questions.

In regards to the tariff increases, I purchased R1000 worth of electrictity yesterday (11/03/2012) & I still received the same number of units as I did on 16/02/2012. It works out to R1.21 per unit.

(http://www.tshwane.gov.za/AboutTshwa...%20tariffs.pdf)

(http://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&rct...4hdLZT86GUtJPQ

The general Eskum tariff increases happen in April 2012, so everyone will be paying @ least 16% more whenever this is implemented.

Also perhaps some people think that they are paying more because of the sliding scale tariffs.

[Bundu]

Okay, so still struggling to find out what procedure to follow should the meter stop working...No useful information yet

The 'Emergency Number' directs to the City Of Tshwane, who don't seem to be able to answer any questions.

In regards to the tariff increases, I purchased R1000 worth of electrictity yesterday (11/03/2012) & I still received the same number of units as I did on 16/02/2012. It works out to R1.21 per unit.

(http://www.tshwane.gov.za/AboutTshwa...%20tariffs.pdf)

(http://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&rct...4hdLZT86GUtJPQ

The general Eskum tariff increases happen in April 2012, so everyone will be paying @ least 16% more whenever this is implemented.

Also perhaps some people think that they are paying more because of the sliding scale tariffs.

thanks for feedback - the person in the newspaper probably made a mistake - AFAIK Tshwane tariffs normally increase only on 1July

It would however concern me if my power was off because of a pre-paid meter failure and nobody can help....

[Zarathustra]

I suppose that this isn't news to everyone, but the electricity for Pretoria ($hitty Of Tshwane) has gone up.

I bought prepaid electricity on 06/07/2012 & instead of R1.21 per unit, it is now R1.33, so a 10% increase.

Having been almost six months since we went Prepaid, I can honestly say that I am much happier & am able to budget more accurately since there are no longer any guesstimations by illiterate council officials.

The entire family has become much more energy conscious & saving where we can, so it does make a difference & is worth the effort of installing it.