Cape Town - The City of Cape Town's new water metering system recently came into effect but because of teething problems in the changeover from the old system residents could end up with hefty water bills.
The new in-house electronic interface system which uploads monthly water readings, while the previous system monitored water usage of residents with a third-party electronic platform.
During the changeover to the new in-house system, the City experienced technical challenges in uploading water readings. This means that some residents may receive higher water bills for January and February because their usage was estimated based on the previous year's billing data. This data figures in seasonal fluctuations in consumption.
However, the City says that higher than expected readings will be adjusted once the new readings have been entered into the system, and has encouraged residents to pay the estimated amounts in the meantime.
Customers who have received water bills in excess of their actual consumption can contact the City's call centre or visit the customer care centre for assistance. In the meantime, the City is suspending its debt management system.
From the 1st of March, however, the average consumption for the property over the previous three-month period will determine what the latest bill will be.