GEORGE NEWS - The George Municipality warns that it is illegal to tamper with your electricity meter and steps will be taken against transgressors. All pre-payment meters in the George municipal area are inspected within a 36-month cycle. Electricity meter inspectors will introduce themselves and produce an ID card for positive identification.
"They explain the reason for their visit and ask for permission to do the inspection of the meter," says Debra Sauer, George Municipality assistant media liaison officer. "George Municipality strives to ensure the safety of all its citizens and as such Ontec, a registered service provider who performs the function of meter reading, follows a strict protocol for meter inspections."
Lists are produced to indicate the planned inspections for a specific day, week or month and distributed to the subcontractor. A Hand-Held Unit (HHU) is used to determine the GPS coordinates of the meter (residence) and an electronic questionnaire is completed by the inspector. The meter is inspected for a seal, units and visible possible tampering. It may be necessary to switch off the main power on the distribution board to confirm everything is working efficiently. All information obtained is captured on the HHU.
"In the event of the meter being faulty or not sealed, a municipality official will be notified," says Sauer. "The inspection is concluded and information is downloaded at the Ontec George office." Sauer warns that meter tampering is illegal and serious recourse actions are taken against transgressors. "The detail of what is regarded as a 'tampered' meter as well as the position of the George Municipality for electricity theft is available in the Tamper Management Policy and the Electricity Supply By-Laws respectively."
You tampered, now what?
When it is found that a consumer has been tampering with a meter, the person will be issued with a tamper fee that must be signed and 'accepted' by the consumer. The electricity will be switched off until that tamper fee has been paid and proof of payment has been provided to the George Municipality Electrotechnical Directorate.
George Municipality will remove the tamper from the electrical meter and seal the meter. But if the tamper is in the distribution board, the consumer must get an electrical contractor that is registered at George Municipality to do it. In this case, the consumer must pay the tamper fee as well as potential damage to the meter and or connection. In addition, the losses and estimated losses as result of the tamper may be recovered from the consumer.
The consumer will only need to supply a Certificate of Compliance (COC) if there was a tamper beyond the electrical meter. The electricity supply will be restored as soon as proof of payment (and if needed the COC) has been submitted to the municipality.
All regulations apply to all premises in George, including informal settlements. All illegal connections are removed and tamper fees are issued for each illegal connection.
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