City Power cuts off lights in Joburg over unpaid bills

JOHANNESBURG - Residents at several buildings in Johannesburg have been left in the dark after utility City Power cut off supply over unpaid bills.

Seven properties particularly in the Hursthill area reportedly owe the power supplier a combined bill of R52 million.

The move to cut the electricity supply is part of City Power's revenue collection drive to recover billions of rands owed to the city in electricity debt.

With a R3.5 million bill residents at the Milpark Mews apartment block are likely to spend all weekend in the dark.

The residential building which also houses students underwent a level two disconnection which means the circuit breaker was removed from the meter box.

City Power’s Hursthill manager Nokuthula Nxumalo said these buildings end up owing millions in debt as they don’t pay their full bill when required.

“I wouldn’t say customers are not paying, they do pay but they tend to underpay what we bill them on a monthly basis.”

She said the defaulting customers put a strain on the utility as it ends up struggling to meet its financial demands especially with the rife infrastructure theft and vandalism in the city.