City Power Meter Audits: How Much You’ll Pay if You Refuse

Starting in 2025, City Power Johannesburg has embarked on a comprehensive meter audit across the city to address longstanding billing inaccuracies and illegal electricity connections. This initiative aims to ensure fair billing and improve service delivery. However, residents who refuse access for these audits face significant financial penalties and potential disconnection.

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What Is the City Power Meter Audit?

The City Power meter audit involves inspecting and verifying all electricity meters in residential areas, including estates and complexes. Its goal is to confirm the accuracy of meter readings, identify tampered or faulty meters, and prevent illegal electricity use. The audit runs during regular business hours with official teams conducting inspections.

Why the Audit Is Important

For years, residents have experienced incorrect electricity bills due to faulty meters, inaccurate readings, and illegal connections. These issues cause financial losses for the municipality and unfair charges for consumers who pay for their own electricity. City Power’s audit seeks to eliminate these problems, promote transparency, and restore trust in the municipal billing system.

What Happens If You Refuse the Meter Audit?

City Power has warned that refusing to allow meter audits has serious consequences. Customers who do not cooperate may face high fines and immediate power disconnection. These penalties vary depending on the type of connection:

• Single-phase connections: Fines can exceed R14,000, plus reconnection fees.
• Three-phase connections: Penalties range from approximately R14,000 up to over R30,000.

Refusal or obstruction leaves City Power no choice but to disconnect affected meters to protect the power grid and ensure accountability.

How to Identify Official Meter Audit Teams

To avoid scams, City Power emphasizes verifying the credentials of meter audit personnel. All employees and contractors carry official identification cards showing photos, expiry dates, and security features like holograms. Customers can confirm authenticity by contacting City Power’s Security Risk Management Control Room or city ward councillors.

Assistance for Low-Income Households

City Power offers financial relief through programmes like the Expansion Social Package (ESP), granting qualifying residents Free Basic Electricity of up to 120 kWh per month. This support targets indigent households, pensioners, child-headed households, and those earning less than R7,503.01 per month. Households that comply with the meter normalisation process benefit from fee exemptions and discounted charges.

We wish to reiterate that our teams will no longer respond to outage queries from customers without
meters or tampered meters. So, we urge everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to also avoid
facing a penalty fee of R14 000 for a single phase household meter.

How to Prepare for the Audit

Residents should expect visitations during normal business hours and prepare by:

• Ensuring access to meters for audit teams.
• Verifying the identity of auditors.
• Asking questions about the audit process.
• Registering for financial relief if eligible.

Cooperation ensures the audit runs smoothly and avoids penalties.

What the Audit Means for Residents

Successful completion of the meter audit will lead to:

• Improved accuracy of electricity bills.
• Reduction in illegal connections.
• Enhanced transparency in electricity usage monitoring.
• Better service delivery from City Power.

While the audit process may cause minor inconvenience, it protects residents and the municipality in the long run.

Where to Get More Information

For questions or to verify audit team identities, residents can call City Power’s helplines or visit their official website. Registration forms for relief programmes and updates on audit progress are also available online.