PETITION: STOP THE FORCED CONVERSION OF PREPAID ELECTRICITY METERS IN JOHANNESBURG
We, the undersigned residents of Johannesburg, call on City Power and the City of Johannesburg to immediately halt the forced conversion of prepaid electricity meters to post-paid billing.
City Power’s recent announcement extending the deadline for converting non-vending prepaid customers to post-paid billing has created confusion, anxiety, and uncertainty for thousands of households. Most concerning is the apparent inclusion of law-abiding solar-equipped households, many of whom invested in solar precisely because the City failed to provide reliable electricity.
Our concerns are clear:
- City Power has not disclosed how many households are affected, nor whether the scope has expanded beyond the 2 318 customers previously identified.
- There is no known City Council resolution approving a blanket shift from prepaid to post-paid electricity.
- Municipal entities are required to implement Council policy, not create it by press release.
- Forced post-paid billing exposes residents to billing errors, debt, interest, and credit control, despite years of choosing prepaid specifically to avoid these risks.
- Penalising compliant solar users is unjust, irrational, and undermines energy resilience.
*Forced post-paid billing will inevitably lead to estimated readings, a problem residents are already experiencing, resulting in inaccurate bills, disputes, and financial stress, while removing residents’ ability to choose prepaid, which exists precisely to avoid these failures.
This action raises serious legal concerns:
A forced change from prepaid to post-paid billing fundamentally alters the nature of electricity supply and may constitute procedurally unfair administrative action under the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA), particularly where there has been no consultation, notice, or lawful approval.
A system that relies on estimated consumption, despite the availability of prepaid metering, is neither reasonable nor fair, and further exposes households to unlawful charges and administrative injustice.
We therefore demand that City Power:
Immediately suspend all prepaid-to-post-paid conversions unless requested formally by customer
Exclude compliant solar households from any punitive or arbitrary billing changes
Engage residents transparently through lawful public processes
Open the process for users to apply for prepaid meters.
Johannesburg residents deserve lawful governance, transparency, and respect, not policy imposed by administrative fiat.
Sign this petition to protect prepaid users, solar households, and your right to fair, legal decision-making.
-2001 needed to reach 10000
We, the undersigned residents of Johannesburg, call on City Power and the City of Johannesburg to immediately halt the forced conversion of prepaid electricity meters to post-paid billing.
City Power’s recent announcement extending the deadline for converting non-vending prepaid customers to post-paid billing has created confusion, anxiety, and uncertainty for thousands of households. Most concerning is the apparent inclusion of law-abiding solar-equipped households, many of whom invested in solar precisely because the City failed to provide reliable electricity.
Our concerns are clear:
- City Power has not disclosed how many households are affected, nor whether the scope has expanded beyond the 2 318 customers previously identified.
- There is no known City Council resolution approving a blanket shift from prepaid to post-paid electricity.
- Municipal entities are required to implement Council policy, not create it by press release.
- Forced post-paid billing exposes residents to billing errors, debt, interest, and credit control, despite years of choosing prepaid specifically to avoid these risks.
- Penalising compliant solar users is unjust, irrational, and undermines energy resilience.
*Forced post-paid billing will inevitably lead to estimated readings, a problem residents are already experiencing, resulting in inaccurate bills, disputes, and financial stress, while removing residents’ ability to choose prepaid, which exists precisely to avoid these failures.
This action raises serious legal concerns:
A forced change from prepaid to post-paid billing fundamentally alters the nature of electricity supply and may constitute procedurally unfair administrative action under the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA), particularly where there has been no consultation, notice, or lawful approval.
A system that relies on estimated consumption, despite the availability of prepaid metering, is neither reasonable nor fair, and further exposes households to unlawful charges and administrative injustice.
We therefore demand that City Power:
Immediately suspend all prepaid-to-post-paid conversions unless requested formally by customer
Exclude compliant solar households from any punitive or arbitrary billing changes
Engage residents transparently through lawful public processes
Open the process for users to apply for prepaid meters.
Johannesburg residents deserve lawful governance, transparency, and respect, not policy imposed by administrative fiat.
Sign this petition to protect prepaid users, solar households, and your right to fair, legal decision-making.