Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality - Rates Frequently Asked Questions

Rates...

Your Council

Agendas and Minutes

Corporate & Directorate Information

Corporate Statement

Customer Care Centers

How the Council works

Our Values

Press Releases

Promotion of Access to Information

Publications

Public Notices

Rates

Your Council & Councillors

Rates Frequently Asked Questions

What do I pay the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality for?

You are billed with a monthly account by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality for services supplied/ rendered to your property. This means that levies or charges in respect of the following Municipal Services and Taxes:

Electricity and water consumption;
Refuse removal;
Sewerage services;
Rates and Taxes;
Interest;
Miscellaneous; and
Sundry charges.

What you will be charged for depends on whether you are an owner or tenant on the property.

How do I make an enquiry on my Municipal account?

You are welcome to contact the Customer Care Center in person, website: www.ekurhuleni.com , telephonically or by facsimile.
Please remember to include your account number.
If you chosse to speak to someone in person or over the telephone, kindly ensure that you record that person's name. This will be of assistance should you need to follow up on your enquiry.

What do I do if my complaint has not been resolved?

Make sure you have recorded the name of the staff member with whom you dealt.
Ask to speak to that person's supervisor.
If you are still unhappy with the service, make your complaint to the Customer Care Center (CCC) Manager . The name and contact details of the CCC Manager is displayed in the payment halls.

What happens if I do not receive and account?

The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) make every effort to print accurate statements and have them posted timeously.
If the due date is near and you have not yet received your statement, kindly request a copy from the nearest Customer Care Center.
If you fail to pay your account on time, you will be liable for credit control action even if you have not received your account.
The onus is on the consumer to request a duplicate statement.

Why does my water and electricity account have a consistent average and then drop or rise?

Your meter is read each month. If the meter reader is unable to gain access to your meter to read it (e.g. dogs, gate locked), he may record an estimated reading.
When a proper reading is taken and the estimated figure is found to be lower than the actual reading, your account will be higher due to the amount you were under charged for when the meter could not be read.
On the other hand, if it is found, after a proper reading, that the estimated figure was higher your account will be lower as a result of the amount you were overcharged during the unread period.
Continuous no access to the meter may result in additional costs to the owner.

Can I make an arrangement to settle my arrears?

Yes, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) operates a customer friendly Credit Control Policy to assist consumers in making arrangements to pay off monies owed to Council.

What happens in the case of dishonoured arrangements?

In the event that an arrangement has been broken, all arrear arrangement instalments plus the current monthly account has to be paid before the arrangement is reinstated. If the required payments are not made, debt collection action will be instituted immediatly, which can include the following:
- Disconnection of electricity supply.
- Restriction or disconnection of water supply.
- Blocked from buying electricity on the prepayment system.
- Legal proceedings to collect arrears. Selling of household furniture. Selling of fixed properties.

What must I do when moving into a House/ Flat/ Business in Ekurhuleni?

Visit the Enquiries Counter at the nearest Customer Care Center to collect the necessary forms to fill in to apply fo a Connection of Services.
The form includes a Service Agreement that must be signed by the prospective consumer before the supply will be commenced.
You will need to pay a deposit fee, the amount of which will be communicated to you when you collect the forms. A deposit is required as a form of security in the event of a Consumer absconding, and is determined by Council Policy.
Once you have completed the forms in full and signed them, hand them in at the Enquiries Counter for capturing onto the Municipal Billing System. Pleaase remember to take your ID with you.
You will be given an Account Number after which you can proceed to the Cashier to pay the required deposit.
The Cashier will keep the Connection Form in order to pass your request on for Connection of Services.
You should receive your firstaAccount within approximately six (6) weeks.

What must I do when moving out of a House/ Flat/ Business in Ekurhuleni?

Visit the Enquiries Counter at the nearest Customer Care Center to collect and fill in the necessary Termination of Services Forms. Make sure you list the correct address, stand number and date on which you wish to stop the Supply of Service, as well as your correct forwarding/ future address.
Hand the forms in at the Enquiries Desk, together with a certified copy of your ID.
Remember that your account is billed in arrears (you are billed after using the service) and you may still receive one or two active accounts after you have disconnected the services.
Your account will be credited with the deposit you paid when applying for Connection of Services.

How do I claim a refund of my deposit once I have terminated my services and a credit balance remains on the account?

Communicate with the transferring Attorney, as any balance due will be paid over to him/ her.

Will I still receive my free electricity if my prepayment meter is blocked??

Yes, depending on you applicable tariff.

How do I get my free electricity and water?

The free portion of the water will automatically be credited against the monthly account.
The free protion of the electricity will automatically be credited against the monthly account.
You need to collect your prepayment electricity from your Customer Care Center for you free token.
If you don't collect the token for that particular month, it will be forfeited for that month.

What will happen if I fail to pay my Municipal account?

Should an account not be paid by the due date, credit control measures will apply.
If the consumer uses the conventional type electricity meter, the supply to that property may be suspended until the arrears and penalty fees have been paid in full, or a suitable arrangement to settle the balance has been made.
If the consumer uses a prepayment type electricity meter, a blocking will be placed on the vending computers to prevent the consumer from purchasing electricity untill all arrears have been paid in full, or a suitable arrangement to settle the balance has been made.
Legal action will be instituted should the above mentioned measures fail to recover the arrears.
Water my be restricted.

What do I do if my service has been cut off due to an overdue account?

Contact the relevant Customer Care Center (CCC) to find out what amount is owed as well as what the reconnection fee is.
Make these payments, or an arrangement to pay, and take the receipt/ arrangement to the relevant CCC to arrange for the Connection of Services.

What will happen if I am handed over to Attorneys for failing to pay my account?

Visit an Attorney, or debt collector, and make arrangement to settle your account.

What is meter tampering?

Any action resulting in the breaking of a seal, the opening, adjustment or removal of a meter, bypassing the meter, opening of a meter box or interfering with the meter or Municipal wiring, piping or other installations in any matter constitutes tampering.
Only authorized Municipal personnel/ contractors are permitted to work on meters, Municipal installations (e.g. transformers) and Municipal wiring and piping.
Severe penalties will be imposed on any person found to have commited tampering.
Tampering constitutes fraud and may result in criminal charges.

What should I do if I am approaced by someone who says he/ she can reduve my monthly electricity or eater account?

Obtain as much information from the person as possible.
Telephone the relevant Customer Care Center for advice.
Do not allow anyone to tamper or interfere with your meter, pipes or cables leading to the meter.
You will be held liable should your meter be found to be tampared with.

How do I know if there is a water leak on my propery?

One opf the easiest ways to check if you have a leak on your propery is to make sure that all taps are closed and to then take the reading on your water meter. If after approximately 30 minutes later the meter reading has changed and your taps are all still shut, there is definitely a leak.
Look out for any damp areas on the ground or on the walls where your water pipes are located.
Make sure that the geyser is not overflowing by checking the overflow pipe, which is situated in the roof.
Check the cistern of toilets to ensure that the rubber seal is effective and water does not continually run into the bowl.
If a hissing sound can be heard from the water pipes where no taps are running, there is probably a leak.
Make sure that no taps are leaking - a dripping tap can waste more that 200 liters of water per day, or about 6.5 kiloliters a month.

Who is responsable for a water leak on private property?

The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) maintains and repairs the water mains up to the water meter. All piping from the meter onto private property is the responsibility of the owner or tenant, depending on the lease agreement.
If a leak occurs on the property, a registered plumbing contractor should be called to fix the rpoblem.
It is in your best interest to have a leak repaired immediatly as the leak will push your water consumption up and you will be charged at a higher rate.
Water use is billed according to and increasing sliding scale tariff. In effect this means that the more you use due to the leak, the more you pay.
Should a burst pipe or leak occur on a roadway or pavement, it must be reported to the Municipality as soon as possible.
It is illegal for a consumer or private contractor to tamper with a water meter.

Will my account be reduced if I find a water leak on my property?

Yes, the account will be recalculated if the following criteria are met:
- The leak must be repaired immediatly.
- A letter from a registered plumber must be submitted.
- The excess charges will be recalculated in terms of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality Policy.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 01 July 2008 )