ETHEKWINI NEWSFLASH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
22 JUNE 2023

EThekwini Municipality is powering ahead with the process of rolling over its prepaid electricity token system to the new STS 6 format. This is to ensure that customers who use prepaid electricity will still be able to purchase tokens after the 24 November 2024 deadline when the current format will no longer be useable. 

The Token Identifier (TID) Rollover project kicks off in earnest on 1st July 2023 after having been piloted in Magabheni in June. More than 15 000 of eThekwini’s 436 000 prepaid electricity meters have already been rolled over to the new format during the pilot phase, making eThekwini one of the leading Metros in the rollover over process.

To manage the process better and to minimise bottlenecks in the rollover project, eThekwini has adopted a phased approach. Various areas have been scheduled for rolling over on a month-by-month basis between July 2023 and March 2024.

Areas that are to be rolled over from next week, July 1st 2023, are: Westville, Chiltern Hills, Cowies Hill, Atholl Heights, Dawncrest, Dawncliffe, Beverly Hills, Claire Estate, Palmiet, Rouken Glen, Grayleigh, Erin-Go-Bragth, Westville South, Westville North and Reservoir Hills.

The municipality will share the rollover schedule on an ongoing basis to alert customers when it is their turn to be rolled over.

WHAT PRE-PAID CUSTOMERS ARE REQUIRED TO DO

During the month that an area gets rolled over, customers in that area are required to visit any Sizakala Centre or Customer Services Centre to receive a Key Change Token. They must then enter this token into their meter. Once this is done customers will be able to continue purchasing electricity the normal way from all vendors.

Customers must only visit Sizakala to get the Key Change Token during the month that their area gets rolled over, not before. Once an area has been rolled over, customers will not be able to buy tokens via third-party vendors until they have gone to Sizakala to receive their Key Change Token.

Customers must also ensure that they redeem all the tokens they have already bought before entering the Key Change Token as they will not be able to use any previous token once they have loaded the Key Change Token. Customers in Westville Cowies Hill and surrounding areas as listed above must go to Sizakala to get their Key Change Token from next Saturday, July 1st.

With just 74 weeks left until 24 November 2024, customers are encouraged to keep up with municipal communications about when their area is being rolled over and to visit Sizakala to receive their Key Change Token. Failure to do so could result in prepaid electricity meters shutting down on the deadline date. 

Customers are further advised not to panic as the schedule has been designed for the project to be completed by March 2024, which will give the municipality ample time to deal with any problems before the November 2024 deadline. 

The schedule with rollover dates per area will be shared on an ongoing basis on eThekwini’s website, social media platforms, and on various media.

Ward Councillors will also have a copy of the schedule.

For queries related to the TID project, please contact our Contact Centre: 0803 111 111.

ENDS
Issued by eThekwini Municipality.