Tshwane warns homeowners on prepaid meters: do this and avoid these mistakes

Tshwane homeowners with prepaid electricity meters are being urged to treat their meters as electrical equipment and to avoid attempting repairs, moves or other interventions themselves. The warning stresses safety risks, crime risks and possible fines when meters are tampered with or bypassed.

What homeowners should not do

Authorities and Eskom advise residents against several actions that can create dangerous or unlawful situations.

• Do not tamper with the meter. Eskom says only authorised personnel should work on its equipment.

• Do not try to move or remove a meter yourself. Incorrect removal or reconnection can leave exposed or wrongly connected wiring and create dangerous conditions.

• Do not allow unauthorised people into your home. Homeowners should verify that anyone claiming to be from Eskom, a municipality or a contractor is identifiable and authorised, and check whether planned meter work has been announced in the area before granting access.

• Do not pay people in cash for meter work without verification. Eskom has warned about people posing as officials and accepting cash for meter moves or modifications; customers should confirm whether work is legitimate and how charges should be paid. Where cash is the only option because of a payment outage, customers should first verify the collector is an authorised official and obtain a receipt.

• Do not buy electricity from illegal vendors. Prepaid tokens should be bought only through legitimate vending channels; discounted or illegally supplied tokens may be linked to criminal activity and can result in disconnection, fines or prosecution.

What homeowners should do

If there is a problem with a prepaid meter, the safest response is to report it through the relevant electricity supplier or municipality rather than attempting a repair.

• Report meter problems to the appropriate office or customer service channel. Eskom says customers experiencing meter problems should contact their supplier instead of doing electrical repairs themselves.

• Use official self-service instructions where applicable. Some prepaid meter error messages can be resolved using official guidance.

• Verify the identity of anyone requesting access to your property. Contact Eskom or the municipality directly if unsure whether a person is authorised to perform meter work in your area.

• Keep children away from meters, electrical connections and exposed wiring.

• Report suspected meter tampering, illegal connections or suspicious electricity sales. Eskom says suspected illegal connections, meter tampering and illegal electricity vending can be reported to its crime line on 0800 11 2722.

• Buy prepaid electricity only from legitimate vendors.

Why tampering is more than theft

While meter tampering is often connected to attempts to obtain electricity without paying, Eskom warns the dangers go beyond financial loss. A bypassed meter can stop registering or under-register electricity consumption and can prevent electrical faults from being detected by normal protection mechanisms. This increases the risk of electrocution or fire.

Safety and criminal risks

Meter tampering, illegal connections and accepting unverified vendors also expose households to crime, either through people gaining entry under false pretences or through involvement with criminal networks supplying illegal tokens. Eskom cautions customers to use official channels and to be wary of offers to move or modify meters for payment.

Homeowners in Tshwane with concerns about prepaid meters should follow official reporting channels, verify identities of contractors, buy tokens from legitimate vendors and avoid any DIY or unofficial meter work.