Before the start of the meter installation project, only 4% of City Power’s customers in Alexandra were paying.
City Power says Alexandra Service Delivery Centre’s (SDC) revenue collection rate now sits at 11%.
This increase came after cut-off operations and the removal of illegal connections in the area.
At the start of the meter installation project,
The collection rate was at 4% when City Power began the meter installation project, it has since recorded a 7% increase in paying customers.
Collection initiatives
City Power says its ongoing revenue collection initiatives include auditing and installing smart meters across Alexandra and other areas across the City.
“It gradually increased in previous months due to our revenue enhancements strategy which includes our programme to audit, normalise and install new smart pre-paid meters,” said City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena.
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The city’s smart meters programme ensures that unmetered customers, especially in non-affluent areas, have smart meters and can purchase electricity. The programme has encouraged customers to install pre-paid meters.
“The installation of these smart pre-paid meters will curb the high rate of the non-payment culture in many areas which are currently not paying across the City of Johannesburg,” said Mangena.
City Power aims to stabilise the network and ensure fair electricity consumption across Johannesburg.
Revenue performance
Mangena said City Power recorded R9 billion in customer debt as at 12 June 2024.
“Our overall performance for Quarter 4 is 86.37% with the tear-to-date performance reaching which is at 77.27%, which is the highest for the entity in the last five years. In the fourth quarter of the 2023/2024 financial year.”
City Power is currently doing audits, resetting, and installing smart pre-paid meters in preparation for token ID (TID) rollover.
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“This process is important as customers will no longer be able to buy electricity recharge units in November 2024 as the available numbers come to an end,” he said.
