After being conned R12 000 by alleged bogus City Power subcontractors, Strubens Valley resident *Mike Simpson doesn’t want fellow community members to go through the pain and hassle he went through.
According to Simpson, in December last year, a subcontractor who was supposedly registered with City Power, promised to apply to the power utility on his behalf for a smart meter, install and register it with City Power. “I trusted the guy because he had previously done some work for me on prepaid meter keypads only to experience deceit and financial loss,” explained Simpson. The said contractor charged him R6 000 for the whole process and Simpson didn’t mind to pay the money as it was the same amount that City Power would have charged him.
The sub-contractor did not deliver on his promise and following after many follow-up telephonic conversations with him, he ended up not answering his calls, and cannot be traced.
“I therefore had to find another contractor (also claiming to be a City Power contractor) who, after getting me to sign a ‘proper’ City Power application form, installed the meter, but alas did not get the meter registered on City Power’s system,” said Simpson.
Again he paid R6 000 to the sub-contractor and, after many follow-up telephonic conversations with that service provider, nothing materialised, and he also stopped responding to Simpson’s phone calls. “I would not wish the hassle that I have experienced with City Power on anyone, to get this meter registered,” Simpson said. He then went to City Power offices where after showing that copy to officials, they intimated that it could have been a fraudulent application form.
“I find it difficult to understand why City Power has not warned the public against these ‘fly-by-nights’. They have known for a long time that these imposters exist, and yet did nothing to warn us about them,” questioned Simpson.
The ordeal to have his meter registered lasted more than five months and was only resolved recently but Simpson said he doesn’t want fellow residents go through what he has gone through. “People should never use sub-contractors to install meters but to always apply at the customer sevice centre at municipal offices,” concluded Simpson.
City Power is still to comment on the matter.
*Pseudonym
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