The Democratic Alliance (DA) in eThekwini is sounding the alarm over a deepening crisis involving prepaid electricity meters, with thousands of residents left in limbo. The party is calling for urgent intervention, greater transparency, and accountability from the municipality.
According to DA deputy leader and Ward 50 Councillor Lyndal Singh, thousands of residents have been left in limbo, with many waiting over two years to have prepaid meters installed at their homes. The core of the crisis allegedly lies in the city’s inability to procure and supply prepaid electricity meters due to a lack of available stock and the absence of an active supplier contract. This failure has left residents vulnerable to the municipality’s often inaccurate and inflated estimated billing system – a situation that Singh described as “unacceptable.”
Between January 2023 and March 2025, the municipality received 28,224 applications for prepaid electricity meters. However, despite the large volume of requests, thousands of these remain unfulfilled. As of March 2025, the municipality reported that 1,492 consumers had been waiting six months for installation, 1,255 for 12 months, 998 for 18 months, 699 for 24 months and 1,040 for over the 24-month period.
When asked about the root cause of the delays, the municipality confirmed that there are currently no prepaid electricity meters in stock, exacerbating the situation. Allegations have surfaced that the current supplier has not been paid, which may have contributed to the breakdown in the supply chain. Singh said the DA intends to refer this matter to the City Integrity Unit for investigation.
She emphasised that despite the prolonged crisis, no officials from the Electricity Unit or Supply Chain Management have been held accountable, and demanded that the municipality fast-track procurement processes and prioritise residents who have been waiting the longest. “This is not just a matter of inconvenience, it is a violation of residents’ rights to fair and transparent billing. The City’s inability to deliver such a fundamental service is completely unacceptable,” said Singh.
Further compounding public frustration is the financial strain on residents who have paid upfront for these meters without receiving the service, raising concerns about how those funds have been used. When questioned about interest accrued on these funds, the municipality stated that it does not pay interest on customer deposits, as it is “not an investment facility.” They acknowledged the unprecedented nature of the situation, admitting that their current Credit Control Policy offers no provision for refunds or interest payments in such cases. “We never anticipated collecting fees and failing to provide services in a timely manner,” said the Municipality.
In addition to electricity concerns, Singh highlighted issues in water service delivery. She questioned why the city installs straight pipes – which bypass water meters – while continuing to charge consumers based on estimated usage. The municipality responded that these pipes are a temporary measure when meters are unavailable and insisted that such installations had not occurred in over three years. However, they acknowledged that some straight-through connections are illegal, and are being dealt with through other municipal programmes.
When asked about the backlog of water meters, the city attributed the issue to a shortage of budget and vehicles, denying that poor planning within the eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) department was to blame. They also noted that due to ongoing constraints in resources, materials, and manpower, they could not provide a timeline for when all customers would be accurately billed based on actual usage.
Singh further pressed the municipality on when it would cease issuing estimated utility charges, but the response suggested no end in sight. Officials explained that estimates are standard practice in the utility industry when meters are defective or inaccessible. “In general, the norm with all utility operators is that they will encounter scenarios of defective water meters which would not be maintained or repaired in 7 days thus forcing the Billing System to raise an estimate for that month. In eThekwini the same norms will apply and thus an estimate will continue,” said the Municipality. While this may be common, Singh stressed that the volume of estimated bills in eThekwini reflects operational inefficiency that must be urgently addressed.
