Cape Town prepaid electricity woes

[akescpt]

thanks, I got it sorted - see post 16

nah was just wondering if any info was on the slip. in case it happens to me...

 

[K3NS31]

nah was just wondering if any info was on the slip. in case it happens to me...

ah, right. give me 5

 

[WAslayer]

nah was just wondering if any info was on the slip. in case it happens to me...

In my case, I had the info of a deduction on my slip when I purchased from Spar.. it wasn't obvious as to what it was, until I asked the municipality who confirmed the previous owner had outstanding debt and this was not deregistered from the meter when the transfer took place..

 

[K3NS31]

That line seems to be the only indicator that something's amiss. (From Easypay mobile app).

 

[isie]

Just called them - it was this. The rates bills go to my wife's email so I wasn't aware.
Apparently, when the amount owed on rates reaches an arbitrary number, they add a portion of it to your prepaid bill.
They don't inform you and it doesn't show on the rates statement.
According to the woman at the call centre, there's no way to check that an amount has been added, or what the amount is. Even she had to add the statement amount to the "prepaid" amount to give me my total owed.
What a useless, stupid, annoying system.

Anyway, thanks for the help all, and hopefully this info will help someone else in future.

flip that's one helluva way to get your outstanding amounts.

 

[isie]

In my case, I had the info of a deduction on my slip when I purchased from Spar.. it wasn't obvious as to what it was, until I asked the municipality who confirmed the previous owner had outstanding debt and this was not deregistered from the meter when the transfer took place..

That isn't legal though - they cant hold you responsible for old owners debt

 

[AchmatK]

flip that's one helluva way to get your outstanding amounts.

CoCT has been doing this for a while.

My water and sewerage was on a different account from my rates for a property I was renting out. The tenant would pay the water directly. For some reason he stopped paying the water account. A few months later, every time he bought prepaid electricity a portion would be allocated to the outstanding water account. He was not a happy camper but realised its for his account.

CoCT eventually consolidated my accounts and I started to get one bill for rates, water, refuse and sewerage. I now pay everything and bill my tenant. This was about 4 years ago already.

 

[WAslayer]

That isn't legal though - they cant hold you responsible for old owners debt

They credited my meter for the amount that I paid towards the owners debt.. obviously an administrative error when the transfer took place..

 

[Alton Turner Blackwood]

I'm not sure tbh. I think it's COCT. If I check a recent Checkers invoice, it says "Elec Mun Prepaid"
And both my Checkers receipt and my Easypay Mobile receipt say: "Cape Town Homeuser"
Then there's another sequence of characters - "SGC....."
And the Checkers receipt also lists a "municipal charge" line item (which was zero at the time).

Thanks for all the help so far.

I'm on the HomeUser tariff and for R500 I get around 250Kwh

C. You will be charge on the HOME USER Tariff if:
You have a credit meter (whatever your municipal property value), or you have a prepayment meter and a municipal property valuation of R1 000 000 or more.
The HOME USER TARIFF works as follows:

• A monthly service charge (to reflect on the consolidated monthly accounts as “HOME USER CHARGE”) of (R142.02 plus VAT) = R163.32 o Block 1:
  • 0 – 600 kWh per calendar month (175.46 c/kWh plus VAT) = 201.78 c/kWh o Block 2:
  • Above 600 kWh per calendar month (242.14 c/kWh plus VAT) = 278.46 c/kWh.

Explained (PDF)

 

[Alton Turner Blackwood]

Exactly my thoughts. The weird thing is, the Easypay invoice says I'm paying R1,75.
It shows a breakdown of:
Vended amount = R50.
Null (0%) = R142
and the rest is VAT.

Yeah, look at my post above, it looks like they're taking the HomeUser charge from you. Are you the owner and if in the affirmative, do you get a municipal bill? I'm asking because my HomeUse charge is added to my municipal bill and not taken from my electricity.

 

[K3NS31]

Yeah, look at my post above, it looks like they're taking the HomeUser charge from you. Are you the owner and if in the affirmative, do you get a municipal bill? I'm asking because my HomeUse charge is added to my municipal bill and not taken from my electricity.

Mine too, I saw it when I checked the rates statement. 160 per month or something.

 

[Alton Turner Blackwood]

Mine too, I saw it when I checked the rates statement. 160 per month or something.

Then I'd take it up with the municipality.

 

[K3NS31]

Then I'd take it up with the municipality.

I did. Called them - it was a portion of overdue rates. See post 16.

I'm just glad the extra money went into rates and not into a black hole.

 

[isie]

They credited my meter for the amount that I paid towards the owners debt.. obviously an administrative error when the transfer took place..

at least they ceredited you

I did. Called them - it was a portion of overdue rates. See post 16.

I'm just glad the extra money went into rates and not into a black hole.

Was it a Huge amount owed though?

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

I'm still trying to figure out why I'm paying almost R3 a unit. The price of prepaid is like the wild west, it seems to be different for almost everyone and there is not a single place you can actually find out what you should be paying.

 

[Al P]

Most municipalities do this- levy up to 71% of your prepaid charges toward your overdue rates account. You can go to them and negotiate a payment plan and your prepaid amount will revert to normal. Just don't default on payment plan . . .

 

[itareanlnotani]

I'm still trying to figure out why I'm paying almost R3 a unit. The price of prepaid is like the wild west, it seems to be different for almost everyone and there is not a single place you can actually find out what you should be paying.

Depends who you buy electricity from.

Eskom has one rate tariff.
Municipalities have many different rate tariffs.

Both are on sliding scales - perversely - the more you use, the more expensive it gets, which is crazyness, but thats how it is.


Me, I generate and use my own, cheaper that way.

 

[akescpt]

Depends who you buy electricity from.

Eskom has one rate tariff.
Municipalities have many different rate tariffs.

Both are on sliding scales - perversely - the more you use, the more expensive it gets, which is crazyness, but thats how it is.


Me, I generate and use my own, cheaper that way.

when is break even?

 

[quovadis]

For 200 I get about 85units used to be 95... my usage has actually reduced but this is the effect of eskom... once upon a time 100 bucks could get you 97 units.

Sounds about right. Thank all those non-payers and then the added failure of Eskom in managing any form of expansion or maintenance correctly. Prepare for more the next round.

Apparently, when the amount owed on rates reaches an arbitrary number, they add a portion of it to your prepaid bill.

I wonder how NERSA would respond to this - I mean surely buying prepaid for electricity should be ringfenced for electricity else the effective rate would be in excess of the prescribed rate.

 

[K3NS31]

Was it a Huge amount owed though?

Under 3 months worth of rates. probably 2.5 - they could've just sent an SMS or email reminder. Would've gotten their money sooner.