GEORGE NEWS - The George Municipality's new electricity billing system, based on the power limit adjustment project, has been rolled out in phases over the past year. 

Phase three is currently being rolled out and it will take place as follows:

From 1 July 2023, the municipality will bill consumers based on the installed capacity of their prepaid meters.

If you have an installed capacity of 60A prepaid meter on your premises you will be billed on 60A in line with the new tariff structure, unless:

• Your meter has been limited through the field team; or
• You have applied for capacity selection via elec.applications@george.gov.za and received a reference.

All consumers who have applied to the municipality, will be billed based on the selected capacity on the application form.

All consumers who have already made their selections and field teams have implemented the changes will not be impacted by these changes.

Apply as soon as possible

Consumers are advised to apply as soon as possible (before the end of June) to avoid paying for installed capacity while requiring a lower capacity.

Background information

George Municipality embarked on a process to phase in a new electricity tariff structure on 1 July last year which is in line with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) approved cost of supply study for George, as well as the municipal Electricity Pricing Policy. 

The municipality has been effecting these changes in a variety of ways to limit the impact on consumers as far as possible.

Phase one roll-out of the power limit adjustment project has included to date:

• Consumers were provided with an opportunity to select their Amperage capacity, in line with their household power requirement.
• Consumers who had not yet selected for their capacity (amps) by 1 July 2022, were placed on a capacity selected by the municipality, based on the consumer's historic consumption in the 12 preceding months. The option remains open for these consumers to make a change and select their own capacity.
• The municipality has sent out field teams to visit residents at home and implement the changes, both for residents who have selected a capacity for their house, and where the municipality applied a capacity based on historic consumption if residents made no selection.
• Consumers were also given the opportunity to make a capacity selection while a field team was at their home and could advise them on their capacity selection. This helped minimise instances where consumers wanted to make a second capacity change after finding that their original choice did not work for them.

The municipal field teams have already implemented power limit adjustments for thousands on the prepaid meter base - where consumers have selected their own capacity as well as where the municipality made the selection based on historic consumption.

The field teams will continue to go out weekly to do amperage limit roll-out and site inspections on prepaid meters.

What about consumers who have not yet made a selection?

The consumers who have not made a selection yet or who are not happy with the selection made by the municipality based on historical consumption, are encouraged to do so speedily on the details shared below. 

Consumers are allowed one opportunity per financial year to make such a change in capacity.

Phase two roll-out has taken place as follows:

From 1 April 2023, the municipality applied the following capacity selection based on the historic consumption:

• If a consumer had a 12-month average historic monthly consumption of above 400 units (kWh) and below 600 units (kWh), the consumer was placed on 30A.
• If a consumer had a 12-month average historic monthly consumption of above 600 units (kWh) the consumer was placed on 40A.
• Indigent consumers were not impacted by this phase, as all indigent consumers are dealt with in line with the Indigent Policy.
• All consumers who have already made their selections were not impacted.

One capacity change per financial year

Consumers are only allowed one capacity change per financial year; any additional changes would be subject to tariff for changes.

Small domestic and commercial tariffs (both prepaid and conventionally metered consumers) are linked to the capacity limit of supply they choose.

Consumers who are willing to manage their loads within a capacity limited to 20 amps single phase are offered a subsidised tariff with no fixed charges.

All consumers who require more than 20amp capacity are charged a phased-in cost reflective tariff with:

• a fixed basic charge,
• a capacity charge depending on the capacity limit of the supply
• a lower energy charge.

Bulk consumers have all been moved to a time-of-use tariff.

Small-scale energy generator (SSEG) consumers are subject to fixed and time-of-use energy charges. Further information on understanding the potential electricity cost and management of loads, and how to decide about the capacity you can choose, will be provided.

Bear this in mind when making your choice:

Capacity selection by the municipality based on the consumers' historic consumption was for a financial break-even to reduce the impact on the customer and not necessarily to confirm the capacity required.

The municipality cannot determine the optimal capacity required with the available meter data; therefore, consumers must determine what their energy and capacity requirements are.

The municipality has noted that customers are selecting the capacity as low as possible to reduce cost without understanding the implications. This is evident by the number of upgrades required once a selection is implemented. Please consider your selection carefully.

Discuss your energy consumption

Do you want to discuss your energy consumption and find out what the best capacity will be for your needs? Phone 044 801 9243. Have your municipal account number and prepaid meter number handy. You may also email your query to elec.applications@george.gov.za.

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