Meter Mate landlord scam

[ZeroCool5254]

I moved in to a flat in Boksburg 3 months ago. Coming from Cape Town using the standard municipal prepaid meters. The flat has a Meter Mate meter and our landlord set a standard rate of R400 for 200 units. You cant buy as and when we need, that is the ratio, no exceptions. We have to beg days on end for electricity. Through meter mate you can still buy from Checkers, Pick n Pay etc. But the meter is blocked.

So this month there is a problem with my pension being paid in(I receive an Eskom pension) This can only be rectified later this week then I'll get my money. So we get money in daily(Brother's a plumber) but is less then the quota for the set amount. But he refuses to budge and we have been sitting without electricity since last week Wednesday 30th September.

What Can I do? What are my options. The local municipality wont budge and states it's a landlord tenant dispute. But clearly we're being robbed.

 

[LongOne]

By law, your landlord is not allowed to resell electricity to you. You need a license to be able to sell electricity and such a license is not granted to individuals.

Therefore, if he insists that you must pay him for electricity, he may not add his own commission on top of the actual price for electricity. He is also on very shaky ground when insisting that he will decide the minimum recharge amount of the prepaid meter and in this manner depriving you of the full use of the rented property by allowing the electricity to be cut off.

My advice is this:
1. Speak to you landlord and explain to him that he is acting illegally. This will most probably not have the desired effect.
2. Approach the electricity seller - this may either be the municipality or a private company who manages the electricity meters - and arrange for access to the meter.
3. Contact NERSA and tell them you landlord is selling electricity without a License

If all else fails, try to find a lawyer that can help you.

 

[spiderz]

move ...

 

[ZeroCool5254]

By law, your landlord is not allowed to resell electricity to you. You need a license to be able to sell electricity and such a license is not granted to individuals.

Therefore, if he insists that you must pay him for electricity, he may not add his own commission on top of the actual price for electricity. He is also on very shaky ground when insisting that he will decide the minimum recharge amount of the prepaid meter and in this manner depriving you of the full use of the rented property by allowing the electricity to be cut off.

My advice is this:
1. Speak to you landlord and explain to him that he is acting illegally. This will most probably not have the desired effect.
2. Approach the electricity seller - this may either be the municipality or a private company who manages the electricity meters - and arrange for access to the meter.
3. Contact NERSA and tell them you landlord is selling electricity without a License

If all else fails, try to find a lawyer that can help you.

Thank you so much for the info. I will contact my lawyer and see what we can do. threats will not work as he is a commissioner of the police station in Boksburg where we live.

I also found out that the neighbors had no electricity for a week as well. Even though they still had units their electricity was disconnected by the building's Breaker Board.

Only option is to move at this time.

 

[annelie.kilian]

Which law?

By law, your landlord is not allowed to resell electricity to you. You need a license to be able to sell electricity and such a license is not granted to individuals.

Therefore, if he insists that you must pay him for electricity, he may not add his own commission on top of the actual price for electricity. He is also on very shaky ground when insisting that he will decide the minimum recharge amount of the prepaid meter and in this manner depriving you of the full use of the rented property by allowing the electricity to be cut off.

My advice is this:
1. Speak to you landlord and explain to him that he is acting illegally. This will most probably not have the desired effect.
2. Approach the electricity seller - this may either be the municipality or a private company who manages the electricity meters - and arrange for access to the meter.
3. Contact NERSA and tell them you landlord is selling electricity without a License

If all else fails, try to find a lawyer that can help you.

Which law are you referring to? I would like to go read up about it.