Deadline for NMBM prepaid meter updates nears

Over 146,921 meters have already been updated

Residents in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality (NMBM) have until November 24 to update their prepaid electricity meter.

According to the metro, over 146,921 meters have already been updated.

Councillor Zanele Sikawuti, Electricity and Energy Portfolio Head in the Metro, has urged the remaining residents to join the programme before the current devices run out of usable token numbers on 24 November 2024.

The programme, which began in April 2022, is replacing the old KNR1 meters with the new KNR2 system in phases. According to Sikawuthi, the metro directorate is using various strategies to reach the thousands of residents who have not yet updated their prepaid electricity meter.

These strategies include door-to-door visits, call centre assistance and an enhanced communication drive.

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“A notable difference is being made through these interventions. Between 9 September and 4 October 2024, a total of 1,263 meters were updated. However, we still have 169,868 meters that need to be updated, including those that have been tampered with, damaged, or are faulty.

“We continue to urge all residents and business owners with prepaid electricity meters to update their meters before the current devices expire in November 2024,” said Sikawuti.

She urged the residents to cooperate with the Metro teams, as they have highlighted refusal of access by residents as one of the challenges they face.

“They (residents) must be at home when we visit. Ward councillors have information on when our teams will visit the wards, and residents must allow us access to their homes.

“The refusal of access has been a challenge and we understand there are various reasons for this, but our teams are clearly identified as municipal workers.

“It is critical for customers to update their meters. After the deadline, they might be able to buy electricity, but tokens won’t be accepted by the outdated meter,” she said.

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