City Power continues efforts to recoup outstanding debt

Electricity supplier, City Power, has launched a billion-rand blitz operation to recover funds from unpaid electricity bills.

The operation involves disconnecting defaulting customers living in Hurst Hill, Auckland Park and Northcliff.

The utility says the weekly campaign aims to recoup R1.6 billion in debt owed by residential and business customers supplied by the Hurst Hill service delivery centre.

On Friday, teams backed by the Johannesburg metropolitan police department (JMPD) and private security disconnected five properties owing a combined total of R5.4 million.

City Power says the most notable case was a property on Grange Street in Hurst Hill operating as a spaza shop and rental unit, which was cut off for arrears of more than R2 million and for obstructing meter audits.

Two other houses in the same suburb, located on St Ermins and Threadneedle Streets, were disconnected for having a combined debt of around R700 000 due to illegal meter tampering and refusing audits.

In Auckland Park, a hijacked property with no legal connection to the power system was cut off for owing over R1.7 million, while another account on Ditton Road was in arrears by almost R850 000.

City Power says the weekly operation will continue to restore the utility’s capacity to deliver reliable services.

The utility has urged customers to settle their debt or make payment arrangements to avoid disconnection.