Eskom smart prepaid split meters programme

Background
Eskom in the Gauteng Province has embarked on an electricity network infrastructure upgrade programme. The main objective of this initiative is to improve the service rendered to our customers through ensuring the reliability of supply and empowering them to control and manage their own consumption.Eskom is currently rolling out Smart Prepaid Meters in Sandton and Midrand specifically targeting residential customers.  The smart prepaid split meters will be provided at no cost to customers.
The roll out of the programme will begin with a consultation process with all stakeholders and members of the community. These engagements will be conducted through various means such as meetings with the community leadership and community/ public addresses. The consultation may range from door to door campaign where customers will be educated on one on one basis with the individual household owner, education campaigns, Customer Awareness Forums to block/ward meetings with the aim of explaining the benefits of the prepaid split metering, Free Basic Electricity (FBE), Inclining Block Tariff (IBT), Energy Efficiency and other useful information.
 
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What is a smart prepaid meter?
A smart meter is an advanced type of digital electricity meter that records when, and how much, electricity is consumed and deducts from the amount consumed from a prepaid balance loaded by the customer.
•         Smart prepayment split metering solution is made up of the meter and the Customer Interface Unit (CIU).
•         The meter and CIU communicate with each other remotely enabling the CIU to display exactly what your electricity credit balance is.
•         The smart meter allows you to view near real-time electricity usage over time and helps you manage your consumption
•         Smart prepaid meters are capable of two-way communication between the meter and Eskom. This enables Eskom to read information off the meter, detect power outages and meter tampering and to send information to the meter such as programming updates
•         Automated instructions are also sent to the meter to interrupt the power supply when your prepaid account balance reaches zero, and to reconnect supply once you have loaded credit.

How to buy and load

1. Get an Eskom meter card
2. Buy a voucher
3. Enter the voucher number into the Customer Interface Unit (CIU)
4. Customer Interface Unit is credited
5. You’ve got power

Use the meter number on your card or receipt to buy your prepaid electricity. Buy from an Eskom appointed/accredited legal vendor. Prepaid tokens are also available at leading supermarkets, banks, or you can use the internet alternatively your cellular phone to get electricity through online vendors or your bank. Your receipt will show how much electricity you have bought.

Once you have bought your electricity token, punch the token number into your CIU at home to load the electricity units into your meter. The CIU will show you on the window display how much electricity you have loaded. The CIU will also show you how much electricity you have left. The flashing light will flash faster the more electricity you use.

What are the Benefits of Smart Prepaid Meters?
 
1.    Cost saving – Customers will be able to monitor and have control over their consumption and use their electricity more efficiently and sparingly
 
2.    Improved customer service – Queries relating to electricity billing will be eliminated and real time outage detection will enable Eskom to respond faster to faults in the field
 
3.    Reduced theft and fraud – as smart meters have anti-tampering technology and tamper alarms which are linked to the Eskom system to report malfunctions and detect meter bypassing
 
4.    Proactive customer Notification – sms and email reminders to notify customers when they are running out of credit and need to top up will be sent
 
5.    Other benefits include: Improved safety, reliable and stable electricity supply, less power outages and load shedding events.
What is a customer interface unit (CIU)?
 
It is a device used by the customer to enter or punch in the token as well as to display the remaining credit and other meter details. It has a red indicator/light that flashes faster when the customer is consuming more energy and flashes slower when the consumption is lower.

How to buy and load

 
Buy only legal prepaid electricity tokens:
It is important to only buy your electricity from legal vendors. A legal vendor will sell you the correct amount of electricity you paid for and will have a vendor identification sticker or sign on their premises.
 
A vendor is not allowed to charge you a fee for buying prepaid electricity.
 

Enquiries

For any enquiries

  • If you have completed an application form for a service from Eskom, and you have sent your form to the relevant e mail address with the relevant hashtag and province in the subject line eg #Applications Western Cape,  Eskom will notify you, via sms, of the milestones reached in your application.

    [email protected]
    [email protected]
    [email protected]
    [email protected]
    [email protected]
    [email protected]
    [email protected]
    [email protected]
    [email protected]

    Please ensure that your email has the relevant email subject heading as follows:

    • For Applications related queries, please use #Application and the Province your request relates to.
    • For Move In / Move Out related queries, please use #MIMO and the Province your request relates to.
    • For Accounts related queries, please use #Accounts and the Province your request relates to.
    • For Disconnections and Credit Extensions, please use #DCE and the Province your request relates to.
    • In order for us to effectively assist you, please provide us with your account or meter number, two contact numbers and a description of your request.
    • More information on tariffs is available on the website (Click here)
    • More information on energy efficiency is available on the website www.eskom.co.za/eas

Frequently Asked Questions

Click here for specific Questions and Answers about Smart Prepaid Metering: Sandton and Midrand

Customers can buy legal tokens from a range of different vending points including banks, retail shops, smart phones, internet and ATMS.

Click here for the list with legal local vending points in your area. 

Eskom will own the meter and the customer interface unit (CIU)

Eskom will be installing the new prepaid meters at no cost to the customers.

For all your energy efficiency tips, log on to: https://www.eskom.co.za/eas/?page_id=644

The new smart prepaid meters are expected to reduce energy theft dramatically through built-in smart features like tampering detection. The smart prepaid meters have very sensitive tamper alarms and communicate irregularities directly to Eskom’s revenue protection unit.

Smart prepaid meters are expected to make illegal connection detection easier. Illegal connections will be removed and Eskom has established a revenue protection unit to respond to illegal connections and enforce penalties accordingly.