City Power meter audits begin in Eldorado Park, here’s what non-compliance will cost you

Eldorado Park woke up this week to the sight of City Power teams fanning out across neighbourhood streets, clipboards in hand, ID tags swinging, and a clear message in the air: comply with the meter audits or pay dearly.

The utility has launched its meter normalisation operation, a large-scale push to root out faulty, tampered or missing meters, starting in Main Road, Bokkeveld Road, Roggeveld Road and Hexburg Street. The initiative is aimed not only at stopping electricity theft but also at fixing billing accuracy for thousands of households.

The price of ignoring the knock on your door

City Power isn’t sugar-coating the consequences. Households with single-phase connections could be fined over R14,000 plus reconnection fees if they refuse the audit. For three-phase connections, penalties could climb past R30,000.

Isaac Mangena, the utility’s spokesperson, said resistance leaves them with no choice but to disconnect power immediately. “It’s crucial that all customers, including those who haven’t been buying electricity credits are properly metered. We have to make sure people are paying for the electricity they use every day,” he said.

More than just fines, a plea for cooperation

While the tone may sound strict, City Power insists this isn’t only about penalties. The normalisation programme is meant to pull non-paying users back into the formal system, boost revenue, and protect infrastructure from overloads.

Mangena urged residents to work with the metering teams and not obstruct them. But with scammers often exploiting such operations, City Power has stressed security: all staff and contractors carry official colour-coded ID cards with photos, contractor verification numbers, expiry dates and hologram seals.

Residents can verify a worker’s identity by calling the Security Risk Management Control Room or speaking with their ward councillor.

Relief for those who qualify

Here’s where the carrot comes in. For qualifying households, the Expansion Social Package (ESP) offers Free Basic Electricity, 120 kWh per month, as long as they comply with the audit.

The programme covers indigent households, pensioners, child-headed homes, and anyone earning below R7,800 a month. Beneficiaries also save R200 a month by being exempt from certain service and network charges.

Registration can be done at City Power service centres, regional municipal offices, or pop-up sites at malls and taxi ranks. Door-to-door campaigns and community meetings are also part of the rollout.

Why this matters for Eldorado Park

Meter tampering and unpaid usage have been long-standing flashpoints in Johannesburg’s electricity woes. Eldorado Park, like many other communities, has faced frequent power outages, partly due to overloaded grids from illegal connections.

City Power’s latest move is both a revenue protection measure and a public safety step. Still, residents are divided some see it as necessary discipline, others as a heavy-handed approach to a deeper affordability crisis.

One thing’s certain: for those in Eldos this week, the choice is clear, answer the knock, check the badge, and keep the lights on without a R14,000 bill waiting at month’s end.

{Source: The Citizen}

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