Those who miss deadline to convert prepaid meters risk being in the dark, Ramokgopa warns

Minister of electricity and energy Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said as of Tuesday morning 2.1 million people had not yet migrated and stood the risk of not having electricity after the Sunday deadline.

“This is 2.1 million consumers who are going to bear the cost for the replacement of meters. This is the 2.1 million people who must wait for the meters to be available to be installed before they get electricity. We are saying you don't have to go through that stress," he said.

"Please subject yourself to the process. What we have been able to reveal is that those who are sitting with the problem are people who likely have not been purchasing electricity for the past six months. They have never bought, but they have electricity.”

Ramokgopa on Wednesday provided an update on the finalisation of the Integrated Resource Plan 2023 and Eskom’s prepaid metering key revision number rollover programme. 

He has reiterated meters using key revision number 1 (KRN1) will no longer accept electricity tokens after Sunday.

It's not extendable, it's a technical issue. We can't extend it. It's a hard stop.Minister of electricity and energy Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa

Ramokgopa said Eskom has successfully pre-coded about 6.9 million prepaid meters to ensure customers continue to buy electricity.

“I want to say to the 2.1 million people present yourself. After November 24 there is very little I can do as a minister, and I anticipate there will be an alarm and aggrieved people at Eskom. Eskom has done everything possible. The 2.1 million had an opportunity for the past eight months, that's the important point. The opportunity is not extended.

“In the past eight months, if they had bought electricity somewhere they would not have had this problem. Go to their houses. The meter is there, the lights are on. Ask yourself, how is that possible? The only possible response is that they bypass,” Ramokgopa said.

He warned that the Sunday deadline cannot be extended.

“It's not extendable, it's a technical issue. We can't extend it. It's a hard stop. On November 24 if you have not recorded, you are sitting with a different problem. Beyond November 24 we have to physically remove the meter and that comes at a cost. It's a significant cost, and that cost must be borne by the consumer because we have done everything possible.

“The base date 1993 is going to run out of range in 2024. That's a technical specification. It has a time stamp that ends of November 24 2024. There's very little we can do.”

According to City Power's Isaac Mangena, Alexandra in Johannesburg is one of the areas with a high number of bypassed or vandalised meters, with illegal connections also rife.

"City Power has around 45,000 registered prepaid meter customers and more than 4,000 on postpaid. Out of that total, only 4% were paying for electricity this time last year. That figure has slightly gone up to 17%, demonstrating customers' desire to get new meters and start paying for services."

Ramokgopa said they anticipate grievances and protest actions.

The minister said Eskom has overextended itself to accommodate households.

He said people who have not presented themselves have not been paying and have been contributing to non-technical losses. 

To address long queues, Ramokgopa said there will be pop-up centres. He said they will match capacity to areas where there are difficulties. 

“We will use all types of media, social platforms, media platforms to reach out. On November 25 you are sitting with a different problem. You are likely going to be sitting in the dark.”

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