Can someone explain prepaid meter service fees ?

[ovisser1]

While it doesn't directly fit into backup power, it is related.

I recently got solar panels installed, and I'm set up well enough to not have to pull anything from eskom but the electrician explained that for various reasons (which are not the question here), a constant 20w would always be pulled from the grid.

I, being the cheapskate that I am, having the hate for eskom that I do, want to turn off the mains switch on the db and not pay them for that .5units+- a day.


When I spoke to a colleague about it at work, he warned me against it for 2 reasons

1) eskom might start billing a connection fee (while it does make sense, since when do they do that?)
2) the day I would actually need to use the grid again, should I need to buy units, the service fee for the purchase would be massive

He explained that the service fee when buying prepaid, is calculated since your last prepaid purchase, so if it takes me a year to buy power again, the service fee would be for a year.


Is this true ?
Does anyone here know more than me that can explain what could the possible downsides be of turning off the mains breaker and just not paying them a cent till I really actually have to?

Reason why I ask is I have units left after the solar install.
At .5units a day, I'll only be looking at buying units again in 3+ years, and I don't want a shock for paying 3years of fees when needing to topup should I need to one day.

 

[SMOoooOTH47]

Following - I have the same question(s)

 

[PaladinLaw]

Probably related to this

The new R2,800 prepaid electricity ‘tax’ you can’t escape

Joburg residents are already getting hit with the new prepaid electricity surcharges – and they’re being implemented in a way that experts say is highly problematic, and tough to escape.

businesstech.co.za

And by the looks of things the fee comes out first before getting units

City Of JHB - Service fee on Prepaid Electricity 1 July 2024

Hi, has anyone else on prepaid got charged a R200 service fee today? Topped up R500 this morning and got 99.30 units.

mybroadband.co.za

So logically to me it "makes sense" that maybe one day you go and buy R2300 worth of electricity after not buying for 10 months and get exactly 0 units cos that R2300 went to "over due" monthly service fees.

This is just my understanding of it though based on above Google search results.

 

[Valheru]

Yep, as above.

I dont have prepaid and COJ rips me 1800-2000 per month for electricity. 600-700 is for usage, the rest are fees and taxes.

 

[ovisser1]

Probably related to this

The new R2,800 prepaid electricity ‘tax’ you can’t escape

Joburg residents are already getting hit with the new prepaid electricity surcharges – and they’re being implemented in a way that experts say is highly problematic, and tough to escape.

businesstech.co.za

And by the looks of things the fee comes out first before getting units

City Of JHB - Service fee on Prepaid Electricity 1 July 2024

Hi, has anyone else on prepaid got charged a R200 service fee today? Topped up R500 this morning and got 99.30 units.

mybroadband.co.za

So logically to me it "makes sense" that maybe one day you go and buy R2300 worth of electricity after not buying for 10 months and get exactly 0 units cos that R2300 went to "over due" monthly service fees.

This is just my understanding of it though based on above Google search results.

I bought r400 in july and got 40units. To test, i didnt buy anything this month, going to buy again next month for R400 and see if i get 40 units or nothing.

 

[DW_za]

Yep, as above.

I dont have prepaid and COJ rips me 1800-2000 per month for electricity. 600-700 is for usage, the rest are fees and taxes.

Exact same boat... Fees are more than my actual usage due to solar.

 

[EELeat]

Yes, as per my experience the service fee is calculated daily from the last purchase date.
I'm not sure if the amount accrues daily but it is charged on the next purchase.

Also the extra service fee amount could come with interest charged if not paid on time, but we don't know those details yet.

You could buy monthly for around the amount your service fee would come to, just so it doesn't rack up.

 

[ENTDocY]

If it's the new Joburg fee you're referring to, it's R200.per month. If you don't load electricity for a month, it rolls over to the next month, so you'll pay R400 that month, and so on.
The only thing you can do is cancel the service completely, but then if you ever decide you need it again, you'll have to pay installation fees again.

 

[ovisser1]

If it's the new Joburg fee you're referring to, it's R200.per month. If you don't load electricity for a month, it rolls over to the next month, so you'll pay R400 that month, and so on.
The only thing you can do is cancel the service completely, but then if you ever decide you need it again, you'll have to pay installation fees again.

Thats what all the articles said, but I want to test it as well.
They can barely keep the lights on, so I dont trust their accounting skills.

 

[Divan85]

In Cape Town this has been the norm for many years. The "service charge" is on your rates and taxes bill you pay every month, so even if you don't buy any units per month you will still be paying your "service charge" when you pay your municipal bill.

Just keep in mind, if you have a true hybrid inverter you can supply your normal household load from the inverter even if it is not connected to your essential load. This however is only possible whilst Eskom power is on, this is another reason you have the CT installed, to prevent pushing electricity back into the Eskom grid. If you switch your main switch off on your DB your inverter will no longer be able to use this function.

 

[ovisser1]

So.... In a interesting tables of turn...
Bought R400 this morning, and in turn I got 208 units ?

Anyone smarter than me who can help with that math ? if R230 monthly service fee, then its R170 for 208 units.
If I had to pay last month's fee as well, its R460 fee, on a r400 purchase and still 208 units.