Johannesburg’s City Power on Monday said customers who have illegally tampered with their electricity meters have an opportunity to claim amnesty and normalise their meters “no questions asked”, but only until June 30.
Customers approaching City Power during the amnesty period to “register” the tampered meter will avoid being penalised through reconnection fees and average monthly consumption charges, and will have the meter reset free of charge.
“Meter tampering constitutes fraud and may result in criminal charges. Customers will be held liable and no mercy [will be] shown to those found to have tampered with their meters, after June 30, when the amnesty period ends,” said member of the Infrastructure, Environment and Services MMC Councillor Nico de Jager.
City Power described meter tampering as “any action resulting in the breaking of a seal, the opening, adjustment or removal of a meter, bypassing a meter, opening of a meter box or interfering with the meter or municipal wiring, piping or other installations in any manner”.
It is expected that customers will save some R11 230, taking into account the reconnection fee and the average monthly consumption fee for a low-income household, if they came forward now.
“Failing which, not only will criminal charges be brought against them, but the meter [will be] disconnected and removed and a new meter installed after payment of a considerable amount of money,” De Jager warned.