Question about prepaid electricity units
Michelle Paddey
I have a query regarding the amount of units one gains when purchasing R100 worth of electricity.
My grandfather, Mr. Adriaan Petrus Coetzee, aged 70, lives in Despatch. He has a chronic lung condition that requires him to be on oxygen 12-18 hours per day. He uses approximately 440 units per month, due to his lung condition, and receives 178 units per R100. His neighbour, however, when purchasing R100 prepaid electricity, receives 203 units, due to the fact that she uses less than 300 units per month. This means that she receives 75 units free per R100!
How is this fair? It is not my grandfathers fault that he has a chronic condition, resulting in a slightly higher consumption. I can send a letter from his doctor explaining his condition.
I would appreciate your assistance on this matter. We would all love for him to also be granted 75 units as a special benefit too, only because he cannot help having a higher consumption.
Kind regards,
Riaan Hanekom
084 513 0939
Jacques Wright
Dear Riaan,
I am sure there must be special provisions for your grandfather – check the NMBM policies. Best is to contact the council and make an application to them for a special arrangement if he is the home owner. Electricity tariffs are designed to penalise you for higher usage, the reasons being to incentivise less consumption and the assumption that if you use more you can afford more. It’s not always a matter of somebody getting more electricity for “free”, they are just paying less for what they use as the kwhr rate is lower.
Typically there are policies that do not allow council to install prepayment in homes where there are medical equipment installed operating off electricity that could cause a life threatening situation if power is disconnected.
Phone the NMBM Customer services at 041 506 5555 and find out what the procedure is for such an application. Get a copy of the applicable tariff and check if there are alternative option e.g. changing to a more practical tariff etc.
In the mean time consider way to reduce the general consumption in the household by using CFL’s etc. to try and get the consumption down.
Hope you come right.
Jacques Wright (Pr.Eng)
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