News

Bedfordview Residents Riled Up Over Exorbitant Municipal Bills

Published

11 months ago

May 25, 2023

Bedfordview residents are expressing dissatisfaction with the exorbitant rates appearing on their municipal bills and are demanding a prompt resolution to the issue.

Numerous residents have voiced their frustrations with the City of Ekurhuleni regarding excessively high charges for water and levies.

One resident disclosed that their bill inexplicably surged from R28,000 to R48,000, leaving them with no choice but to pay it to avoid disconnection.

Also Read: Have Your Say Now! Ekurhuleni Residents Asked to Give Feedback on New Water By-Law

Others have claimed they are being overcharged, with their bills amounting to three to four times more than they should be paying.

Another resident stated that despite submitting their monthly meter readings through the CoE’s app, the readings are not reflecting accurately on their account.

Further complaints include accounts not being adjusted even after an appeal hearing, immediate disconnections for overdue bills followed by reconnection fees, residents being forced to conduct their own meter readings, and instances of unattended accounts.

Jill Humphreys, the councillor representing Ward 20, has confirmed that efforts have been made to rectify erroneous water billing issues in Bedfordview and Edenvale.

The councillor has requested that a day be designated for billing, meter reading, and valuation consultations at Bedfordview City Hall. Still, no response has been received from the metropolitan authorities thus far.

“This approach was successful last year when addressing valuation issues,” Humphreys said.

“We have residents who are doing everything they can to comply and yet their interim bills are not being reversed,” she added.

Meanwhile, the City of Ekurhuleni has been unable to provide specific reasons for the recurring inaccuracies in residents’ billing statements. Instead, they have advised residents to utilise their WhatsApp helpline at 060 667 7177 and the My CoE app for improved customer convenience.

“This is particularly beneficial for customers who prefer not to have meter readers enter their properties where the meter is located inside,” Humphreys explained.

“We still have meter readers who visit the properties on a monthly basis,” stated CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini.

He further noted that they strive to respond to queries within the designated timeframe.

“The CoE’s service standard for addressing queries is 90 days. However, queries that do not require extensive investigation can receive a response within three days, provided the queries were initially directed correctly,” Dlamini clarified.

Source: Locals outraged by excessive bills

Also Read: