Eskom Cracks Down on Illegal Prepaid Meter Connections, No Further Extensions

In a firm move to combat electricity theft, South African power utility Eskom has announced there will be no further extensions given to prepaid electricity users who have bypassed legal metering systems. These users have a looming deadline until the end of Friday to legalize their connections and submit an admission of guilt or face severe penalties.

In response to rampant illegal connections, Eskom’s Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa provided a last-minute extension last month to over 1.7 million “zero-buyers”—users who had not purchased electricity through the proper channels—setting a deadline of December 13. As a part of the regularization process, implicated customers are obliged to pay a fine of R6,000, allocated over a span of 12 months.

Following the completion of Eskom's Key Revision Number (KRN) rollover project on November 24, which upgraded prepaid meters from KRN1 to KRN2, the utility has successfully updated systems for approximately 5.64 million users, which included 400,000 former zero buyers. This strategic update, accompanied by an extensive data clean-up campaign, has expanded Eskom’s customer base from 6.91 million to 7.25 million, as stated by Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena.

Despite these efforts, about 100,000 customers remain who have received tamper fines, with 15,000 of these fines being either fully or partially settled. Eskom has made provisions for these fines to be paid online or via bank transactions, alleviating the need for customers to visit Eskom centers, which do not process cash transactions.

Moreover, the utility has prepared various digital communication aids to support customers. These include Alfred the Chatbot, the Eskom Contact Centre's Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, and a dedicated WhatsApp service, ensuring customers have multiple channels for support and guidance.

Eskom has issued a stern warning for those who fail to meet the Friday deadline. The power utility intends to intensify meter auditing processes and has stated that it will not hesitate to levy fines up to R12,000 or initiate criminal charges against repeat offenders. This step is seen as critical in curbing the prevalent issue of electricity theft that significantly burdens South Africa's energy sector.

As the deadline approaches, Eskom urges all users with irregular connections to regularize their status to avoid legal actions and further fines. This crackdown reflects Eskom’s ongoing commitment to rectify electricity distribution and ensure compliance across its network.