coj off-grid process

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denmendez65

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Hi All.

I am currently busy with the process for going off-grid. My supplier is Citipower and I am Postpaid.

Reason for going through? The high fixed charges. 1.4k a month. It’s way to high to stay connected otherwise if I was paying current prepaid tariffs I would keep the connection.

First visit was about a month ago. Was told by the person assisting that it’s not something they do and it’s a Citipower issue. Citipower mirrored the same from COJ and said it was a COJ problem.

It obviously was going to turn into a bank and forth. So I asked the Citipower gent to write me a note specifying that COJ must start the process.

I went back to COJ a month later (the Monday of this week) and the gentleman there said again that they don’t do disconnections and such a service does not exist BUT he quickly phoned Citipower after I gave him the note and Citipower told him to do it.

I filled the forms (only needed an ID, picture of the meter, and my current statement). He said I needed to go to my region (B even though my statement says C) to get a quote for removal.

Fast forward to today. I went to B and was informed the form is the wrong one. It’s for new connections or changing a connection. The guy there gave me a new form (this one actually says it’s for isolation and removal).

I am now currently at region C office to submit the new form. I will update the thread as things go along.
 
So far I can’t say the workers are being hard to deal with. They genuinely don’t look like they know the process. Citipower has a form for isolation and removal so Citipower is getting these applications otherwise they would not have such a form.

I suspect the luck of the person applying for this would depend greatly on whether the person who helps you has done it. So visiting Citipower first seems to be the best way forward. Rather than COJ.
 
Ask them what it takes for them to come and disconnect normally for example when someone doesn't pay?
 
Slowestclock said:
They do what anyone else would do, they charge interest on you, eventually cut off your services, then the lawman comes in and takes your shiz.
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This is when you pay your account up to date including the interest excluding reconnect fee.
 
Update: It’s done with the new form. I need to wait a day or 2 for it to be loaded to the system on Citipower side.

I then go to Citipower and verify they got it and have to go back to COJ to pay.

This needs like 3 to 4 days of leave🤣
 
wingnut771 said:
This is when you pay your account up to date including the interest excluding reconnect fee.
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You can't pick and choose what to pay on a single bill. You will just have an outstanding amount and you will continue to pay it monthly.
 
What type of system do you have at home to power your house?
 
B-1 said:
You can't pick and choose what to pay on a single bill. You will just have an outstanding amount and you will continue to pay it monthly.
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How can they continue charging you line fees when your account is disconnected after you have paid the rates and water portion but not the whole account so they dont reconnect, so you just pay interest on the outstanding reconnect fee every month so it doesnt compound?
 
This is the wrong form. Ask for Isolation forms. Someone at COJ should know what that is. Even though the people at region C didn’t know. Unfortunately can’t find it on Citipower site.
 

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denmendez65 said:
This is the wrong form. Ask for Isolation forms. Someone at COJ should know what that is. Even though the people at region C didn’t know. Unfortunately can’t find it on Citipower site.
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Cause not many people do it
 
wingnut771 said:
How can they continue charging you line fees when your account is disconnected after you have paid the rates and water portion but not the whole account so they dont reconnect, so you just pay interest on the outstanding reconnect fee every month so it doesnt compound?
Click to expand...

Allocate the funds to disconnection fee first then reconnection fee, interest rates then bill you for next month and slap a interest rate on the outstanding fee.
If you don't settle that disconnect you again.
 
Update: Went to Citipower. And they never got the email from COJ. But the lady gave me her personal email. So just have to scan the front page and they will create a quote for me. Fortunately don’t have to go back to COJ for this. Only paying.

Will mail them in a few minutes. Hopefully the quote is sent today or tomorrow.

This is visit number 5 on 5 different days now. So yes, it requires quite a bit of back and forth.
 
Rickster said:
City Power*
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They have been more clued up about going offgrid than COJ interesting enough. The whole process was only possible coz of them. COJ had told me two different occasions they don’t do such things like going offgrid. 4 of the 5 visits where because COJ didn’t know the process.

Not really disappointed or angry at anyone though. It’s not like people are running to go offgrid. They don’t get these applications often. Which goes against the belief on here and other forums that Eskom/Citipower is losing a ton of customers going offgrid.
 
Thanks for all the updates @denmendez65
I'm bookmarking this thread for future reference. I'm lucky enough to be on prepaid but if COJ one day decides to come knocking saying I have to go to postpaid because of my solar I'll be following the same route.
 
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