Pre-paid disadvantage

BECAUSE the latest electricity tariffs are stepped, the more electricity consumed above the initial tariff step in a calendar month, the more it costs the consumer. Although this is an acceptable method of charging to curb excessive use, it is applied strictly to pre-payment consumers but cannot be strictly applied to consumers purchasing electricity on credit.

To avoid paying for surplus units at the higher tariff, a pre-payment consumer must buy only the number of units required for the particular calendar month. If, however, the consumer is not at the premises at the beginning of the calendar month, he or she will be forced to buy electricity at the highest rate applicable during the preceding month to ensure that a sufficient reserve is available while he or she is away.

A consumer with a credit meter does not have this problem. He or she will probably not even be aware when his or her meter will be read.

To be fair, every credit meter should be read at the stroke of midnight of the last day of every month to determine which tariff steps would apply to his or her consumption. However, even if this can be accomplished, it still does not force the consumer with the credit meter to purchase sufficient electricity for the following month at a higher rate.

It is evident that the tariff discriminates against the users of pre-payment meters and I wish to know what the municipality intends doing to rectify this matter.

D Frost, Port Elizabeth