Hi All

COJ was in the news again with regards solar users with prepaid meters and forcing them back to post paid. To my understanding this ups the minimum monthly charge from R230 to R998+VAT.

Ignoring the virtues and legality of the above, should this come into effect it would make far more sense for me to (personally) bolster my existing solar panel array as well as batteries and potentially buy a generator for those continuously rainy days and go fully off grid.

The questions I have are:

1. Have any former City Power/COJ solar users voluntarily gone off grid? Was the process simply to go to the municipal office and request it, settle any arrears and pay around R650?

2. Bar the subjective opinions on being able to sell again is an electricity connection a requirement to bond a property or was the user who posted this confused and they mixed this up with a CoC?

3. Probably a tough one but does anyone know if the reconnection fee is R12k if you voluntarily disconnected? I understand the costs if you stopped paying as these are well documented.

Last question, not related to the above, has anybody registered since OUTA was able to have the electrical engineers sign off removed as a requirement?

The process is now far less laborious, but, clearly a precursor to the above.

The COJ has openly stated they are using drones to identify solar users and guess what was buzzing over head on Friday!

Thank you in advance!

Cheers

David

Its actually not mandated by COJ to be moved to Postpaid, Citipower cant make that decision without COJ. And the fees are 1400 rand, not 900ish.

Here is my bill for the month on Postpaid.

1. I am currently busy with the process and created a thread to document it here : https://mybroadband.co.za/forum/threads/coj-off-grid-process.1329707/

2. You can sell a house without a grid connection, just depends on how much in demand it will be. Its a double edged sword, some buyers will want the connection, but with the rising fixed charges and cost per unit it is also possible that quite a lot would welcome the fact that they pay less on their bill.

3. Reconnection is about 12k yes. In my case its a tiny fee as 8 months of being off-grid will cover the 12k if I reconnect later on. So its a no brainer, 12k is nothing in the grand scheme of things considering every year I was dropping 16.3k in fixed charges alone.

Also, Engineers sign off is still required by COJ. You are confusing Eskom with Citipower. Eskom relaxed their rules, not CP. COCT doesnt need an engineer also If i am not mistaken.

At the moment, the individuals who registered seem to be getting the letters to be moved to Postpaid. The ones who have not registered have gotten no such notices from what I have gathered.

Edited January 12Jan 12 by Denns

1 hour ago, OceanWanderer said:

2. Bar the subjective opinions on being able to sell again is an electricity connection a requirement to bond a property or was the user who posted this confused and they mixed this up with a CoC?

I don't believe there is such a requirement. I sounded out some folks a while back, and nobody ever said "can't do it because of paragraph whatever", but they did say that I needed to think about whether or not it would make my property more or less attractive if I want to sell. The answer to such questions will change with time and regulations of course.

What I am not clear about, and what you should get an expert opinion on, is whether or not you still need a COC. Are there safety requirements that must be met irrespective of where the electricity is supplied from? Having or not having a COC is certainly important when it comes to selling property, and a buyer would want reassurance.

Edited January 12Jan 12 by Bobster.

6 minutes ago, Bobster. said:

I don't believe there is such a requirement. I sounded out some folks a while back, and nobody ever said "can't do it because of paragraph whatever", but they did say that I needed to think about whether or not it would make my property more or less attractive if I want to sell. The answer to such questions will change with time and regulations of course.

What I am not clear about, and what you should get an expert opinion on, is whether or not you still need a COC. Are there safety requirements that must be met irrespective of where the electricity is supplied from? Having or not having a COC is certainly important when it comes to selling property, and a buyer would want reassurance.

You 100% need a COC if you want to sell. The house must meet all the regulations etc (gas lines, electricity etc) before you can sell.

22 minutes ago, Denns said:

Its actually not mandated by COJ to be moved to Postpaid, Citipower cant make that decision without COJ. And the fees are 1400 rand, not 900ish.

There is a regulation that says that a registered SSEG installation cannot be paired with a prepaid meter, and there's another that requires registration of SSEG. I thought that CP might be taking a chance here, but after some digging it looks like the regulations may support what they want to do. One consequence of what CP propose is that they will uncover a lot of unregistered PV systems. From there they can move to TOU tariffs, which will have even higher fixed fees.

Please don't think I derive any pleasure from this.

2 minutes ago, Bobster. said:

There is a regulation that says that a registered SSEG installation cannot be paired with a prepaid meter, and there's another that requires registration of SSEG. I thought that CP might be taking a chance here, but after some digging it looks like the regulations may support what they want to do. One consequence of what CP propose is that they will uncover a lot of unregistered PV systems. From there they can move to TOU tariffs, which will have even higher fixed fees.

Please don't think I derive any pleasure from this.

Yeah, thats why I said in the last sentence that it seems the people who registered are getting the letters of conversion. Does beg the question that once they take care of converting the registered people like you, how will they deal with the unregistered people? Because at the moment they are not getting any notices. Otherwise this is from the councillor:

Dear Residents,

*STATEMENT BY CLLR NICOLENE JONKER – WARD 88*

I have formally sought clarity on City Power’s recent actions to convert prepaid electricity meters, including those used by solar-equipped households, to post-paid billing.

At present, there is no evidence of a City of Johannesburg Council resolution authorising this shift. Council has not debated, approved, or adopted any policy that mandates the blanket conversion of prepaid customers to post-paid accounts, nor has it adopted any policy specifically targeting solar users.

That absence matters, and it raises serious legal concerns.

City Power is a municipal entity. Its role is to implement Council-approved policy, not to invent new policy on its own. Introducing a change of this magnitude, without Council approval, directly affects household finances, consumer risk, and the fundamental terms under which residents receive electricity.

A forced move from prepaid to post-paid billing:
• fundamentally changes the nature of electricity supply,
• exposes households to billing errors, disputes, and credit control measures,
• and, if imposed without proper notice or consultation, may amount to procedurally unfair administrative action under the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA).

Many residents have lawfully invested in solar systems, often in response to ongoing service instability. Where the City has failed to provide a clear, functional, and accessible registration framework, it is neither reasonable nor defensible to penalise those households through sudden billing changes.

Until City Power can produce:
• a valid Council resolution,
• a clear legal basis in law or by-law,
• and proof of fair, lawful, and transparent implementation,

This action remains legally questionable and open to challenge.

Residents deserve transparency, lawful governance, and decisions taken through the proper democratic process — not policy introduced by press release or administrative fiat.

I will continue to pursue this matter formally and will keep residents informed as verified information becomes available.

*Cllr Nicolene Jonker*
Ward 88

Wow! Thank you so much for the speedy feedback!

In a recently released press statement, the date has moved from 31 December 2025 to 30 June 2026.

Interestingly the press releases always seem to single out non-vending consumers as well as a change in which City Power are now responsible for the billing... I am guessing the non vending piece relates to folk who are not even needing to pay the R230 charge + some usage.

I guess all of this, while related, does not detract from the SSEG registration requirement irrespective of motive or intent with regards what will be done with that data?

In terms of the engineers sign off, which of the outlined steps require this?

These items came from the SSEG booklet on the City Power website : https://citypower.co.za/customer-services/sseg

I have the data sheet, NRS certificate.

I ask as my installer now offers a turn key service for R6k, I was hoping I could register myself and save some money?

Thank you!

Cheers

David

40 minutes ago, Denns said:

Yeah, thats why I said in the last sentence that it seems the people who registered are getting the letters of conversion. Does beg the question that once they take care of converting the registered people like you, how will they deal with the unregistered people?

I've had no recent communication. I did get a letter at registration time. What I see where I live is lots of auditing going on - bells ring, it's City Power wanting to have a look.

There are easy methods for them to use. How much electricity is a consumer paying for in a month? This is not new. They used to have a policy of flagging any prepaid meter that showed no activity for three months, or any meter where the usage suddenly dropped. I got several visits in the months after I had PV installed. There's a person lives near to me who has PV and prepaid but for whatever reason still buys about 2 grand of electricity a month. They probably won't get bothered.

Another method is to just look on our roofs. They can use Google maps for that. Sure, Jo'burg is a big place, but they can do a suburb at a time. Or just send out drones (apparently this is what COCT do).

47 minutes ago, Denns said:

At present, there is no evidence of a City of Johannesburg Council resolution authorising this shift. Council has not debated, approved, or adopted any policy that mandates the blanket conversion of prepaid customers to post-paid accounts, nor has it adopted any policy specifically targeting solar users.

I wish experts could agree. I have seen one councillor in my neck of the woods very sarcastically claiming that CP are just sucking this out of their thumbs. Another (same party) has quoted me book, chapter and verse from the regulations and says that this all stems from national regulations and, like it or not, has to happen.

It is probably true that there hasn't been a recent resolution. The regulations quoted to me are not new, were not given the OK in the last 6 months.

In the news:
Joburgers furious over ‘punitive’ solar billing move - ENCA
https://www.enca.com/news-top-stories/joburgers-furious-over-punitive-solar-billing-move

DA accuses City Power of targeting Joburg residents with solar power
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/da-accuses-city-power-of-targeting-joburg-residents-with-solar-power/

City Power not ‘punishing’ Joburg residents with solar power
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/city-power-not-punishing-joburg-residents-solar-power/

Edited January 16Jan 16 by system32

I switched to prepaid because the guesstimate readings were a problem.
I needed a predictable bill and not estimate readings every month.
I need a system that is not open to abuse.
I need a system that cuts me off when there is a problem of excessive usage (eg geyser gets leak and stuck on for a month).
Prepaid is the correct solution for me.
Prepaid is cheaper for lower consumers of electricity.
The argument from CityPower is that prepaid was never meant for affluent suburbs.
There are no bylaws that enforce "affluent only".
I'm "middle income" - does that now count as "affluent".

CityPower trying to increase revenue -
CityPower's own analysis on 2024-03-19 shows:

• R20,7 billion revenue, cost of supply was R20,2 billion, surplus (profit) of R495m (2.5%)

• expect a 15% surplus (profit) on sales of electricity - R3.1b

• getting 2.5% surplus (profit) on sales of electricity R495m

• total energy losses (non-payment/theft) were ~27% in FY2122 - R5.6b

• NERSA benchmark for energy losses is 10%-12%

• Reducing losses from 27% to 15% would increase surplus (profit) from R495m to R3.5b

Just do your job and reduce "energy losses" to NERSA benchmark and stop trying to punish paying customers.

Only 4% of Alexandra, Mountain View, Tshepisong, River Park, Pennyville and Vlakfontein, etc pay for their electricity…
Recent efforts increased this to 11% payment rate.
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/city-power-collects-7-more-revenue-from-customers-in-alex/
https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/south-africa/2024-06-12-a-number-of-city-power-customers-dont-pay-for-electricity/

CityPower must f**** off until  they have reduced theft to NERSA recommended levels.

See attached CoJ-2024-25-ELECTRICITY SERVICES-proposed-tariffs.pdf for details of revenue, revenue losses, etc.

CoJ-2024-25-ELECTRICITY SERVICES-proposed-tariffs.pdf

Edited January 16Jan 16 by system32

On 2026/01/12 at 2:21 PM, Bobster. said:

There is a regulation that says that a registered SSEG installation cannot be paired with a prepaid meter

What regulation is this? I am on prepaid. Have been for years. Moved over to prepaid after my solar installation. I am a direct Eskom customer, in Fourways.

This whole "prepaid = bad" is a new thing. In the 2010s all the municipalities/Eskom were begging people to go the prepaid route, as it saved them a hell of a lot of admin, and prepaid is slightly more expensive per unit, or at least it was when I did the conversion, but talking cents here, so not a big deal.

The powers that be, realized they killed the goose laying the golden eggs, in that all the people that went solar, were the people that were actually paying their bills. Now they want to move everyone back on to post-paid, as it is the only way to "tax" us more. It has nothing to do with the prepaid smart meters not working properly with grid-tied systems, BS! Myself, and many of my mates have been running prepaid with our systems for years, without any issue.

This is 100% a money grab. Like I said on another thread. The day they stop at my house, telling me to register, and move to postpaid... on that day, I'll tell them, cut me off right now, right here.

2 hours ago, Hyades said:

What regulation is this? I am on prepaid. Have been for years. Moved over to prepaid after my solar installation. I am a direct Eskom customer, in Fourways.

I'm referring to COJ regulations. If you're not supplied by City Power then these probably don't apply to you. But check carefully. I am a City Power customer, and I have the combination they say is not allowed. I think there are many cases of the left hand not knowing what the right hand did. My system is registered. I hid nothing from City Power and declared that I had a pre-paid meter. Yet here I am...

2 hours ago, Hyades said:

This whole "prepaid = bad" is a new thing. In the 2010s all the municipalities/Eskom were begging people to go the prepaid route, as it saved them a hell of a lot of admin, and prepaid is slightly more expensive per unit, or at least it was when I did the conversion, but talking cents here, so not a big deal.

This remains the case with City Power. Prepaid users pay more per kWh. But they pay much lower fixed fees.

2 hours ago, Hyades said:

The powers that be, realized they killed the goose laying the golden eggs, in that all the people that went solar, were the people that were actually paying their bills. Now they want to move everyone back on to post-paid, as it is the only way to "tax" us more. It has nothing to do with the prepaid smart meters not working properly with grid-tied systems, BS! Myself, and many of my mates have been running prepaid with our systems for years, without any issue.

OK, City Power want to move people with PV systems off of pre-paid. If you don't have PV, do have pre-paid, have been buying and haven't tampered with the installation then nothing changes. If you are not supplied by City Power then their statements that we are discussing here have no relevance to you.

The controversial aspect is that they are saying that we can't have PV and pre-paid. But that is not a new regulation. I don't know if my meter is "smart" or not. It doesn't do any of the things that smart meters are reported to do, but maybe that's just because they haven't enabled those features where I live. I suspect that because it is not bi-directional it records any power coming from the inverter as if it came from the grid. But if that is happening then it is, as you say, cents. I don't worry because any remedy is going to cost me more.

Anecdotal evidence, from a conversation with a City Power engineer, is that they usually uncover the combination of PV and pre-paid because somebody complains that their meter is eating credit too fast, and they find that it is a pre-paid meter linked to a PV system that is exporting. Which suggests that they are not bi-directional. But they still do supply electricity.

My own attitude is that if I connect a system that has the ability to feed back to their grid, then they have a legitimate interest in that.

Edited January 17Jan 17 by Bobster.
Clarity

2 hours ago, Hyades said:

What regulation is this?

I can give you wording, but not, at this time, book chapter and verse. Remember that this is City Power, not any other supplier

“All residential customers who would be willing to invest in embedded generation with the purpose of supplementing their electricity supply from City Power, will have to be on a time-of-use conventional tariff structure. If they are currently on a prepaid structure, they will be required to migrate to the time-of-use conventional tariff structure.”

My argument, when the time comes, will be "fine. Please move me to a TOU structure". And then I will hope they don't do that because the reseller's tariff is next to nothing, the fixed fees (per COJ's tariff book) are even higher than for post-paid, and I will have to pay for the new meter.

Edited January 17Jan 17 by Bobster.

So the words I quoted are from COJ's approved tariffs document. These are the documents that govern what we pay the city. It is certainly there in the 2019 document and I started hoping that maybe it was only in there. IE it was a rule then, but isn't now.

But it is reported by the Citizen and by Moneyweb in July 2023.

Note that there are multiple tariff documents each financial year, including a one pager that allows us to do calculations along the lines of "used to pay that, now will pay this."

Just a reminder that what you post here is effectively public, will get picked up by search engines, can get posted to other forums and even discussed there. I suppose this shouldn't need saying, but I was just a little taken aback to find myself quoted on another forum along with a suggestion that I am talking from a part of my body that is not my mouth. This may be better than people acting like I'm a lawyer or something.

The wording appears again in the 2024/5 approved Tariff documents.

And shoot! It's there in the 2025/6 tariffs. That's the tariffs that apply right now. So my brief spell of optimism came to nothing.

I don't know what's going on with City Power, and that's an indirect quote from CoJ agent! I have unregistered solar and my prepaid meter was irregularly removed 4mo ago, no notice, no doc's nothing.. account converted to postpaid just like that... CP agents very dismissive, anecdotally reason for my treatment is I wadnt buying enough units or frequently enough.. said there was a policy doc on this but they couldn't produce it and nothing on their website either, just pure lies!! Anyway loaded units gone/stolen, and now 10x escalated estimate charges being billed, multiple complaints/disputes with no progress and now pre termination notice forcing to pay unjustfiable billing. Planning genny for off grid but risk of no recovery of losses, will have to take it on the chin and try cut my losses