The window of opportunity for Johannesburg residents to register an electricity meter that has been tampered with will close on June 30, City Power warned on Wednesday.
The Johannesburg-based power utility urged customers who have such meters to register these at its head office, or at their nearest customer service centre, before the cut-off date.
“The amnesty offering gives customers who have tampered with their electricity meters an opportunity to normalise their meters. Once this is done, technicians will connect the meter free of charge,” it said in a statement.
Citizens are required to present the City of Johannesburg with a rates and taxes statement not older than three months, a copy of their green bar-coded identity document, as well as their stand number and meter number when applying for amnesty.
“Meter tampering constitutes fraud and may result in criminal charges. Customers will be held liable and no mercy shown to those found to have tampered with their meters after June 30, when the amnesty period ends. This is clearly an opportunity not to be missed,” said City Power.
Meter tampering includes any action resulting in the breaking of a seal, the opening, adjustment or removal of a meter, bypassing a meter, opening a meter box or interfering with the meter or municipal wiring, piping or other installations in any manner.