This week I am coming out guns blazing against a parastatal or SOE. I shall refer to conversations I have had via all the social media. I am appalled that a public utility is allowed to operate so crudely in a democratically-free country.
Citizens have experienced nothing but malfeasance, cronyism, BEEEE, jobs for pals, salaries to people who don’t exist, billing that is based on guesswork and an unfailing tantrum on a yearly basis for increased tariffs. They scream louder and louder like an obscenely bloated Oliver Twist for “more”. I am referring, of course, to Eskom.
I received a monstrous bill for R3 635.72 for a domicile occupied by one person, whose only tap into power is the circulation-system in a private pool, and the normal day-today utilisation of what Americans call utilities. I have paid my due bills since November 7, 1971.
I know what my average consumption is, having used the facility for almost five decades, when this utility was severally called Escom, Evkom and finally Eskom. Here is the response I received to my question: how can a monthly consumption increment overnight from an average of R1 000 to R3000? I provide the text the way I received it, pathetic language and all.
“Dear Customer.
To explain the bill for May 2021, account number 66----, Tabisher AC was billed on estimated meter readings for the previous three months before May 2021 (i.e. Feb, March, April 2021).
The premise’s last had actual readings was on the 2021/01/12 that was used for billing before the one which was taken on 2021/05/11.
In this scenario our billing system reconcile the account once it receives actual readings after estimated readings by billing it from the last actual reading so that the customer is billed on the actual consumption used during that period.
The estimated bill rendered during that period are reversed and the amount paid during the period is taken into account as part of reconciliation process by our billing system.
Unfortunately based on the actual meter readings received on 2021/05/11 it appears that the premise was underestimated at some point during the estimation of 2021/01/12 – 2021/05/11. Customer’s bill for May 2021 R3635.72 after the reconciliation. Please see below the average calculated monthly consumption kWh (average electricity used per month) for period 2021/01/12 – 2021/05/11.”
In drawing my readers’ attention to the atrocious grammar and spelling errors, I do not exercise rancour. I am just saying that expertise for achieving consensus is sadly lacking. The contradictions stand out like suppurating boils. How can payment have been made and accepted and end up with a bill three times higher than before? Who does the readings and when?
The accepted practice over years has been for three-monthly readings, two of which are estimates and the third a visible lowered billing because of adjustments based on actual physical readings from a box that is situated on a pavement and serves the whole street.
We never see these “readers”, we never get told when they come so we can see what they are recording. My neighbour is a caterer and averages R3 000 per month.
My gripe addresses the unprofessional, arrogant, demeaning way in which agents give inarticulate explanations which fob off paying clients.
My appeal is for an ombudsman to intervene, or for our street to launch legal action against this insatiable monster who picks on pensioners while leaving municipalities and corporations who have payments that are years overdue.
The word is simple and direct: enough is enough.
* Literally Yours is a weekly column from Cape Argus reader Alex Tabisher. He can be contacted on email by [email protected]
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Newspapers.
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