PORT ELIZABETH - MUNICIPALITY OWED R2 BILLION FOR ELECTRICITY; YOU HAVE 45 DAYS TO PAY OUTSTANDING DEBT

Account defaulters should brace themselves for power cuts as the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality introduces stricter measures to get residents and businesses to pay up.

The municipality desperately wants to recoup about R2-billion owed by households‚ companies and government departments to plough back into services.

On Tuesday‚ the city officially announced its decision to cut off the electricity supply of account holders within 45 days of them not paying their outstanding debt.

Prepaid account holders will be blocked from buying more electricity until their accounts have been paid up. The new system means everyone will have 30 days to settle their bills and a further 15 days before the city steps in.

On Monday night‚ the municipality blocked 3 400 prepaid meters with a collective debt of about R17.5-million.

Among the biggest defaulters are big companies‚ who owe the municipality millions of rands‚ and government departments.

About 15 companies embroiled in a legal battle with the National Energy Regulator of SA and the municipality owe the metro about R220-million in unpaid electricity bills. The city is currently negotiating with the companies who have been paying only 79.23% of their bills since July last year.

The political head of budget and treasury‚ councillor Retief Odendaal‚ said notices had been issued two weeks ago to bad payers‚ including Eastern Cape government departments and the Coega IDZ‚ warning that their power would be disconnected if they did not pay.

Since then‚ customers had started to pay their overdue bills‚ with the city raking in about R16.6-million in that period.

Odendaal said the provincial Department of Public Works owed the municipality R27-million for various services and rent‚ while the Department of Health owed R6-million.

via - timeslive.co.za