How to Change to Prepaid Electricity in eThekwini Municipality: Simple Guide

Ifytex Chibuzor

Hi, I’m Ifytext Chibuzor. I'm an electrician. I have spent over 4 years working with prepaid meters, solar setups, and inverters. I started PowerPek to share real-life solutions to the everyday power issues many of us face with our prepaid meters — from token errors to meter tampering warnings and many others.

Ifytex Chibuzor

Perhaps you are a resident of eThekwini Municipality who wants to change from traditional estimated billing to prepaid electricity but doesn’t know how to do it. No worries; we’ve got you covered.

As an electricity user in eThekwini Municipality, it makes sense for you to change to prepaid electricity because it will help you manage your energy expenditure efficiently and reduce energy waste.

Changing to prepaid electricity in eThekwini Municipality is not difficult; however, there are a series of steps that you will need to follow to be able to change with ease. So, if you want to change to prepaid electricity in eThekwini Municipality, it is important for you to go through this comprehensive guide to enable you to get the right information you want. Let’s get started!

🚀 Join Our Crypto Airdrop Channel! 💰

Stay updated on the latest free airdrops and earn free crypto effortlessly. Don’t miss out!

🔗 Join Now on Telegram

What is prepaid electricity?

How to Change to Prepaid Electricity in eThekwini Municipality

Prepaid electricity is a system that allows electricity consumers to pay for their energy consumption in advance. It allows users to pay for their energy usage in advance. Unlike the traditional estimated electricity billing system, where consumers receive monthly bills after using electricity, prepaid electricity allows consumers to pay for energy usage in advance.

Benefits of Prepaid Electricity

Some of the reasons why you should change to prepaid electricity if you are a resident of eThekwini Municipality are listed below:

Click HERE to register on VTUBase and buy cheap data as low as N200 Per 1GB

It will help you manage your energy budget efficiently.
There is no risk of accumulating unpaid energy bills.
It will help you manage your energy consumption more effectively.
There are no surprise electricity bills.
There are flexible recharge options.

Why Switch to Prepaid Electricity in eThekwini Municipality?

eThekwini Municipality, like many other cities in South Africa, has been gradually introducing prepaid electricity meters to improve service delivery and reduce electricity theft. This switch provides residents with more control over their electricity usage and, at the same time, helps the municipality manage electricity distribution more effectively. So, if you are a resident of eThekwini Municipality who is either moving to a new property or want to upgrade from a conventional postpaid system, it is an excellent choice for you to change to prepaid electricity because of the enormous benefits that it offers.

How to convert to prepaid electricity in eThekwini Municipality

To successfully convert to prepaid electricity in eThekwini Municipality, follow the steps below:

1. Check the Prepaid Meter Installation Eligibility

The first step you should take when you want to change to prepaid electricity in eThekwini Municipality is to check the eligibility criteria and ensure that you meet them. Once you meet the criteria, you should proceed to the next step.

2. Pay Outstanding Bills

If you are owing outstanding bills in your electricity estimated billing account, you will need to pay off the debt before you can change to prepaid electricity. You can check if you are indebted to the municipality by checking it online or visiting the nearest municipal office.

3. Apply for a Prepaid Meter

Once you have cleared yourself of any outstanding electricity bill, you can proceed to apply for a prepaid meter through the eThekwini Municipality. Interestingly, the application process is painless because there are different methods that you can use to apply for it such as:

Via Online Application: You can apply for a prepaid meter through eThekwini Municipality’s official website. Fill out the required forms and submit your application with the necessary documentation (proof of ownership or tenancy, ID, and utility bill).
Via in-person application: Visit one of the municipality’s customer service centers or regional offices nearest to you. Go with your identification ID, proof of address, and proof of payment for any outstanding bills.

4. Pay the Application Fee

In some cases, eThekwini Municipality may require electricity users in the city who want to change to prepaid electricity to pay an application fee, which will be used for processing the installation of a prepaid meter. However, the fee may vary depending on the type of meter. Meanwhile, once your application is reviewed, you’ll receive an invoice from them for the necessary payment. Ensure that you pay the fees promptly to avoid delays in the process.

5. Schedule a Site Inspection

After applying for the meter and paying the necessary fees, the municipality will schedule a site inspection with you to ascertain your energy requirements. During the inspection, the eThekwini Municipality technician will access your property’s electrical system to ensure that it is compatible with the prepaid meter.

6. Install the Prepaid Meter

Once the inspection is concluded, prepaid meter installation will follow. Technicians from the municipality will install the meter and the installation is usually free. It doesn’t take lots of time to install the meter; just a few hours and they are done. The technician will guide you on how to use the meter and load prepaid electricity tokens on it.

7. Buy Electricity Tokens

Once the prepaid meter is fully installed, you will be required to buy prepaid electricity tokens from vendors and load them into the meter. The good thing is that there are different channels through which you can get the tokens, like pay points, online platforms, supermarkets, etc. Once you buy the token, you can load them into your meter through the keyboard.

8. Manage and Monitor Your Electricity Usage

Now that you’ve successfully converted to prepaid electricity, you will need to manage and monitor your electricity consumption effectively to enable you to get value for your money.