The eThekwini Municipality has revealed that a significant number of water and electricity meter readers are facing challenges, resulting in estimated billing for many residents. According to a Finance Committee report, meter reading services are a critical component of revenue collection, with water meters read monthly and electricity meters read every third month.
The report highlighted that in November 2025, a total of 55,325 bills were estimated, increasing to 61,567 in December 2025. The municipality found that the increase in estimations was due to a number of meters removed on site that still existed on the eThekwini Revenue Management System. Estimates were mainly due to locked properties, obstruction to meter access, and vicious dogs preventing access to properties.
Challenges Faced by Meter Readers
Meter readers are facing numerous challenges, including wasp nests, faulty meters, and foreign and faulty locks. The municipal revenue department is currently issuing notifications to customers requesting access to their properties for meter reading purposes. Should there be no improvement, punitive tariffs will be applied to accounts not read for a period exceeding three months from the date of notification, in accordance with the Credit Control Policy.
Statistics and Concerns
Statistics in the report showed that in November 2025, there were 310,754 (64,919 estimated) PODs, and in December 2025, 312,914 (59,118 estimated) PODs. Dr. Jonathan Annipen, IFP councillor in eThekwini, expressed concern about estimated billing and delayed meter reading, which he said harmed residents. Some of the challenges faced by meter readers include:
- No access to the meter
- Vacant houses
- Entry refused by consumer
- Faulty meters
- Foreign and faulty locks
- Meters bypassed, damaged, obstructed, removed and tampered with
- New meters
- No keys and unable to locate the meters
Saul Basckin, ActionSA eThekwini councillor, stated that the report showed billing completeness was almost 100%, yet councillors were approached daily by residents facing billing errors of tens and even hundreds of thousands of rand. For more information on the eThekwini Revenue Management System, visit the eThekwini Municipality website.</p)
