eThekwini bypasses meters due to shortage

The Citizen

14-07-2025

THE eThekwini Municipality has admitted to deliberately bypassing electricity meters in Durban due to a critical shortage, raising concerns about revenue loss, accountability, and the long-term sustainability of the city's electricity system.
Some households in Durban are receiving electricity without functional prepaid meters, as municipality technicians have been instructed to bypass metering systems. However, the municipality said meter procurement process is at an advanced stage.
Spokesperson for eThekwini Municipality Gugu Sisilana said, 'As we are currently unable to replace meters, we are compelled to bypass them temporarily to ensure continued service to customers. During this period, customers will be billed based on estimated charges. The shortage of meters should be resolved in the next few months.'
The ongoing shortage of electricity meters in Durban has now affected a family in Merebank.
The couple, Kathereeku and Sarasvathie Govender, had their electricity supply cut off after their prepaid meter stopped working in September last year.
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According to the family, their ordeal began at that point, when the prepaid system failed and has yet to be replaced.
Sarasvathi said they immediately reported this to eThekwini Municipality.
'The workers from eThekwini arrived at our home to fix our meter, however, instead of replacing it they told us that eThekwini Municipality is facing a severe shortage of electricity meters. They told us that they will bypass the meter,' said Govender.
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The family stated that the municipal team did not explain the potential financial implications, and they now fear that they might eventually be held liable for a large, backdated electricity bill.
The Govenders also expressed confusion about where their current electricity supply is coming from, as no explanation was provided when the bypass was implemented.
The Southlands SUN visited the property last week, and upon inspection saw two electricity meter boxes.
'There is one that is functioning and supplying electricity to the bottom building. According to the family, the second meter supplies electricity to an additional building on the property.
'However, this meter has become ineffective, resulting in a lack of electricity supply to that part of the premises,' Govender added.
Sisilana said the current policies of the municipality does not permit two meters per property.
'However, this could have been a historical fitment where the City used to install a second meter on the same property which has a separate dwelling unit,' said Sisilana.
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