Cape Town says additional metering costs for bidirectional meters out of its control

Daniel Puchert

Daniel Puchert

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Cape Town's solar-selling dealbreaker

The City of Cape Town (CoCT) says that additional "metering accommodation" costs for bidirectional meters are "out of its control" and blamed them on "exorbitant" charges by private electrical companies.

Cape Town has been offering its cash-for-power programme over the past few years, allowing consumers to earn back credits for excess electricity generation and be paid back money as small-scale embedded generators (SSEGs).
 
Why is Cape Town of such interest? What about us Eskom direct clients? I have a quote of R9700 from Eskom direct for a new meter (which apparently they fitted 6 months ago already). All in, my costs for registering my system with Eskom has come to:
Electrical engineer: R10500
Structural engineer: R6900
DGSL and client Kiosk: R8850
Eskom's quote: R9700

That's a hefty R36 000 to register my system with Eskom, which they insist is mandatory to avoid being cut off or fined heavily.
 
Willie Trombone said:
Why is Cape Town of such interest? What about us Eskom direct clients? I have a quote of R9700 from Eskom direct for a new meter (which apparently they fitted 6 months ago already). All in, my costs for registering my system with Eskom has come to:
Electrical engineer: R10500
Structural engineer: R6900
DGSL and client Kiosk: R8850
Eskom's quote: R9700

That's a hefty R36 000 to register my system with Eskom, which they insist is mandatory to avoid being cut off or fined heavily.
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Cape Town pay you cash money if you go into negative but its a con as they limit you to 3kW.

Eskom is also a con.

I would do it anyway without their permission, let them fine you and cut you off. Just don't pay the fine and you have effectively disconnected for free. Charging batteries with genny on rainy days is almost the same price as eskom anyway.
 
Any price gouging harms the currency. I get annoyed with the short term foolish mentality, that has so many businesses think it's somehow good for them in the long term, if they can gouge a quick buck, so often.

What's the point of making 10%, 20%, or however many percent more? If it just all adds up to higher inflation. So that soon enough, however much more money you have made in the short term, it's only worth 100% of what it was worth before. That's just letting your own stupidity spill over and screw everybody, including yourself. Meaningless growth in wealth.
 
Has anyone actually went through the process to get a feed-in meter in COCT? Do I need to involve a third party, or can I apply on my own?
 
wingnut771 said:
Cape Town pay you cash money if you go into negative but its a con as they limit you to 3kW.

Eskom is also a con.

I would do it anyway without their permission, let them fine you and cut you off. Just don't pay the fine and you have effectively disconnected for free. Charging batteries with genny on rainy days is almost the same price as eskom anyway.
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As soon as I have more panels I'm probably going this route.
 
More BS from CoCT. Put the new meter where my old meter was. Which wasn't on the boundary wall. Or outside th erf.

I get the idea the policy makers want to make it happen but the actual electricity department is fighting this tooth and nail with every excuse in the book.
 
Let’s just remember it’s the same coct that said you can’t switch on your solar system that you paid for without their approval but takes over a year to get approval due to their own backlog and not yours . . I have done over 100 ssseg applications and my advice would be don’t bother until they knock on your doorThey don’t have capacity to check panels and get a coc for your install but rest is a waste of time and too much red tape . If the place burns down it’s the coc that counts and not cause it is registered as a sseg on cities grid
 
why do you need an electrical engineer and a structural engineer to replace a meter? Can someone please give a breakdown on what each of those prices entail the person doing or goods they will be providing?
 
Wrath of Khan MD said:
why do you need an electrical engineer and a structural engineer to replace a meter? Can someone please give a breakdown on what each of those prices entail the person doing or goods they will be providing?
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The structural engineer has to check and say that the roof design can handle the panels additional weight

As with most building municipalities want all the risks on a 3rd party signing off

And none on their inspectors competence or incompetence probably the latter hence the sign offs
 
leon.davibe said:
The structural engineer has to check and say that the roof design can handle the panels additional weight

As with most building municipalities want all the risks on a 3rd party signing off

And none on their inspectors competence or incompetence probably the latter hence the sign offs
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very odd someone wants to charge R6,900, I asked a solar company for a quote to give me a certificate for my solar system so I could send it off to the municipality, they said they charge R1,500 and just asked if I have my house plans etc.
 
leon.davibe said:
The structural engineer has to check and say that the roof design can handle the panels additional weight

As with most building municipalities want all the risks on a 3rd party signing off

And none on their inspectors competence or incompetence probably the latter hence the sign offs
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What is the ratio between approved and rejected roof inspections?

Is it like 99.9999999% of the time the guy ticks the yip the roof is fine box, that will be R10k thank you and have a nice day?
 
I was just looking on powerforum and some guys said you don't legally need one unless its sectional title, or if the panels are elevated (wind risk) etc. So if your panels are flat on the roof then it's fine.
 
wingnut771 said:
What is the ratio between approved and rejected roof inspections?

Is it like 99.9999999% of the time the guy ticks the yip the roof is fine box, that will be R10k thank you and have a nice day?
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so true all those panels(8) are opprox same as 2 guys walking on my roof
next we need to get an engineers approval to clean the gutters?
panels spread out guy on roof pin point pressure
 
Wrath of Khan MD said:
I was just looking on powerforum and some guys said you don't legally need one unless its sectional title, or if the panels are elevated (wind risk) etc. So if your panels are flat on the roof then it's fine.
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it depends on muni
in our area they make it clear it is about weight carrying
so no way to spin out of it

i get it if the house was built way way back
but most modern designs are over engineered
so this is just another cash grab, job creation
 
leon.davibe said:
it depends on muni
in our area they make it clear it is about weight carrying
so no way to spin out of it

i get it if the house was built way way back
but most modern designs are over engineered
so this is just another cash grab, job creation racketeering.
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FTFY
 
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