Tshwane switches to prepaid electricity for all properties

[Paul_S]

Which other Municipalities have bulk supply pre-paid meters?

My fault.
Seems that the problem is that people often can't get prepaid sub meters inside a complex because the municipalities refuse to install or allow it, so a single bulk postpaid meter is used for the entire complex and it's up to the body corporate to sort out "internal affairs".

 

[Wyzak]

They'll probably charge the whole complex as a single user like all the other municipalities do.
Get ready for being billed on the highest tariff.

That's not new. Complexes have been billed at power user tariffs for a long time now. Their free allowance also fell away a few years ago.

 

[Billy]

"Yesterday, the city launched the R7bn Security of Revenue Project which will see the installation of 800 000 pre-paid smart meters in every household, business and public building at no cost to the consumer."

This seems to suggest that pre-paid meters will be installed inside complexes, and that the bulk meter will be discontinued. However in the year that Tshwane has been going on about pre-paid, I have not seen any detail as to how the present bulk metering would be handled.

Also a lot of schemes use Impact Meter Services to "re-sell" power. Presumably they will lose their business.

 

[Paul_S]

"Also a lot of schemes use Impact Meter Services to "re-sell" power. Presumably they will lose their business.

Which is a good thing as most (if not all) of these prepaid meter companies are just leeches in the system and add little to no value.
I just hope there are no long term agreements with penalty clauses in place with the prepaid meter suppliers which the consumer is going to end up paying for.

 

[Billy]

http://www.amps.co.za/

Impact are not pre-paid suppliers, they read the meters in complexes and then bill the occupiers.

 

[The_Mowgs]

Serious question, will these be installed in the informal settlements also? What happens when the electricity demand is too high and they only sell say R300 electricity per household?

 

[Wyzak]

Serious question, will these be installed in the informal settlements also? What happens when the electricity demand is too high and they only sell say R300 electricity per household?

The answer to that question is normally indirectly proportional to whether there is a chance that it can cost them a vote in the next election. If there is a chance, then it won't happen.

As for your other question, stock up ahead of time, and try to out-last.

 

[BLIXEMPIE]

Will each unit in complexes get it's own unit as well? Don't want companies like Huurkor and Impact to need to exist and add unnecessary service charges for something not needed anymore.

 

[McGuywer]

Does anyone have any update on this? Did CoT install any prepaid meters yet?

 

[supersunbird]

Does anyone have any update on this? Did CoT install any prepaid meters yet?

Tshwane prepaid meters: R27-billion price tag:
http://www.looklocal.co.za/lookloca...Tshwane-prepaid-meters--R27-billion-price-tag

Metro responds to R27-billion prepaid meter allegations:
http://www.looklocal.co.za/lookloca...onds-to-R27-billion-prepaid-meter-allegations

Latest from 07 June 2013
New Tshwane budget accepted:
http://www.looklocal.co.za/lookloca...n=Detail&pid=null&New-Tshwane-budget-accepted

It also provides for the rollout of 800 000 prepaid electricity meters over 24 months in a move to secure revenue for the city and encourage the cautious use of electricity.

Haven't heard anything new thought the grapevine or in the newspapers...

 

[Paul_S]

... service fee (or fee) of 19.5 cents for every rand of electricity revenue ...

Talk about a lucrative rip off!

 

[McGuywer]

Thanx supersunbird

 

[HavocXphere]

Joburg proposed tariffs for June 2013:
Prepaid 0-500 - 89.03c
Prepaid 500-1000 - R1.01
Prepaid 1000-2000 - R1.08

60 amp single phase postpaid: Service charge R414. 0-500 85c, 500-1000 87c

That R414 is a bastard.

f'ing hell thats a lot. My total bill is usually round 300.

I like the peak / off peak thing. I'm probably better prepared than the avg person to work around that.

 

[spellcheck]

City of Tshwane awarded the contract (without tender) to Peu Capital, who in turn created a subsidiary TUMS (Tshwane Utility Management Services) to implement and operate the the project.

In May 2013, TUMS issued an open tender for "... the supply, installation and maintenance of prepaid smart meter assets (to include smart meters and their associated communications modules, customer interface units and secure street cabinets/smart meter enclosures) to support a wider prepaid smart electricity meter solution and associated vending platform". Mail & Guardian

I have scoured the web but cannot find any reports on who won this tender. All I could find was a mention in in the annual report of a Chinese company, Quamnet, having won the tender together with ZTE. I'm surprised that no-one has reported on what must have been a significant order. And that seems to be only for the "front-end", excluding the data and call centres and all associated IT and billing arrangements. And for a seriously contentious project too!

Does anyone know any more details?

 

[The_Unbeliever]

There you go - this was discussed previously on myBB : http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthr...atantly-corrupt?highlight=prepaid+electricity

Viva Corruption, Viva.

 

[spellcheck]

Thanks for that. But it doesn't answer the question about who won the TUMS tender for implementation and maintenance or, for that matter, what its value was.

 

[biena]

Thanks for that. But it doesn't answer the question about who won the TUMS tender for implementation and maintenance or, for that matter, what its value was.

The local newspaper cover it as facts come to light, unfortunately I can only find the one article on their website (think there has being about 5 of them already). Doubtful if you are going to find out who has the tender but maybe contact one of the people mentioned in the article to find out.

http://rekordeast.co.za/10057/peu-contract-to-be-contested-in-court/

 

[spellcheck]

Thanks, I'm just curious, especially as it was a public tender. I might follow it up some time as you suggested. Some more may come to light in the ensuing court case - it was only the application for an urgent interdict that was lost. The main case is still to come.

 

[McGuywer]

Any new news on this?

 

[Magnum]

How this this system work from a technical viewpoint?

(Yeah I'm scheming )

Ponder....Stop pondering.Go off grid and never pay water or electricity again