The City of Johannesburg's power utility, City Power, which is owed close to R5 billion by residents and businesses, has embarked on an aggressive drive to collect outstanding debt big corporates, government departments and citizens.

“Revenue collection impacts heavily on the sustainability of our business and is a key focus area – every cent counts! Without this revenue, we cannot invest in the necessary infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted power supply.

“Our Revenue Enhancement Plan will actively engage those customers who owe us money and focus on recovering that debt. We will take action to motivate behavioural change, and having done so, we will not then apologise for cutting power supply," said CEO Lerato Setshedi.

Over 37 000 accounts are in default with City Power. Among them are 480 large power users such as manufacturing and mines; over 10 400 businesses and 104 Government departments, including schools, hospitals, some essential services, and departmental offices; and more than 26 600 outstanding residential accounts.

As part of the campaign, City Power will be visiting customers to:

• conduct stand to stand audits. This is to identify customers who have meters but are not billed, those without meters and to help resolve ghost meters.

• carry out metering audits to identify illegal connections.

• inform customers about network normalisation projects in their areas and

• disconnect those who have connected illegally to protect our financial position

“We are asking customers to come forward voluntarily and settle their debts or make an arrangement to do so. We will be reaching out, engaging citizens, business forums and councillors about this campaign so they understand the link between our revenue collection and normalisation of services. If we are forced to disconnect customers due to non-payment, there will be fees associated with reconnections, including upfront payments," Setshedi added.

Revenue collection function is centralised at the City of Johannesburg, and this campaign is City Power's effort to assist especially with our customers who owe or illegally use electricity.

The campaign will also focus strongly on illegal connections which contribute immensely to the revenue losses for the City, and identifying those customers that are not billed for electricity they use.

Engagements have already been done with Speaker's office, councillors and regional directors bto support this initiative.

For more information on how to pay an outstanding electricity bill or make an arrangement to do so, visit the City of Johannesburg website www.eservices.joburg.org.za or any of the multi-purpose centres in the regions. -  Written by Isaac Mangena