Which Bills Can I pay online with Powertime?

Powertime customers can now pay bills from over 400 bill issuers and charities, as well as any municipal bill (electricity, water, rates, taxes) and many others, as long as it has an EasyPay number. The <<<<< EasyPay number >>>> can be found at the bottom of the bill.

Bill can be paid using any supported payment method: credit card, EFT and via your PayGenius electronic wallet.

This new free service offered by Powertime includes:

• paying all your bills in one click, at any time and from anywhere
• managing multiple bills from the same account
• settling the full amount or only part of your bill at a time
• managing your budget thanks to the bill payment history
• monthly spending report via the PowerStream report

The diversification of our services is an opportunity for us to extend and improve the customer experience on the Powertime platform.” says Sebastien Lacour, Powertime’s Managing Director. Powertime takes into account the constantly changing customer’s needs and focuses on adapting its offer to meet the new demand.

Here is the list of supported bill issuers on Powertime:

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In a show to the National Energy Regulatory of South Africa (NERSA), the power utility said the increment was incompletely being driven by buys from free power markers international Power Products (IPPs) and carbon charges – two costs which are outside of Eskom’s immediate control. These two costs alone make up around 13,8% of the mentioned increment, it said.

The gathering has likewise shown that it depends to request a further 15,07% increment in 2024 and a 10% increment in 2025. In any case, this will rely upon the genuine increment that NERSA awards Eskom this year with the controller seldom giving the power utility the full increment that is requested.

On 5 March 2021, NERSA supported a climb of 15,06% for Eskom’s immediate clients, which was accordingly carried out on 1 April 2021. A climb of 17,80% for districts was carried out on 1 July 2021. Far beyond the mentioned levy increment, Eskom said it is as yet reliant upon additional value support given by the public authority to stay a going concern.

It added that each work is being made to track down additional efficiencies inside the business, to address defilement and extortion, and to make advances into tending to city and other obligation. Eskom added that the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic and the related lockdown limitations in South Africa have had extensive outcomes and added significant descending force to a generally compromised economy.

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Prepaid electricity in the main, is quite a good concept to look into if you are still running a post paid system and are struggling with exorbitant monthly fees and costs. If you are controlling your energy spend with the post paid method, then this is in order however it can easily become a costly expense. Prepaid electricity too, are not without it’s errors and issues and below we will discuss some very common errors you will come across some time or the other with your prepaid electricity set-up:

Error Messages: 

1. SAD face – probably means it is just finger trouble in typing the token number – please retry
2. DDDD –  Duplicated token. The token has probably been entered already, causing this error. Please double check.
3. Error 30 – Technical error on your meter. To try and troubleshoot this error, please switch off your meter, as well as your electricity mains and give it a few minutes. Afterwards, turn back on your mains and meter back on and retry your token. If the error 30 persists, please contact your municipality and get a technician to come out and have a look at the meter.

Meter Blocked? – It does occur that a meter is blocked by a municipality’s credit control. This means that the municipality prevents your meter from making a prepaid purchase until the block is lifted. To have this lifted the client needs to sort this out with the municipality.

While we are on the subject, also important to note that any outstanding fees on your utility bill that is deemed to be in arrears, can be deducted from your prepaid electricity purchase. If this takes place, it is wise to contact the municipality to resolve this.

For more information please visit: https://straton.co.za/pre-paid/about/prepaid-meter-error-codes/

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• Windows can be used keep out heat like: Installing coverings for windows
• Use ventilation and fan strategies to cool your house. You can use the bathroom fan to remove heat. You can turn the ceiling fans off when you leave the room
• Make sure that furniture is not blocking the airflow through your registers
• You can make more use of day lighting then switching on the lights in your home and workplace
• To prevent warm air to leak into your home, you can seal all openings and cracks.
• Switch off and unplug unnecessary appliances such as televisions, iron, and kettles when not in use.
• Turn down the water heater and adjust your thermostat
• Close blinds to prevent sun coming in when it is sunny day or when it’s cold to prevent absorbing the cold air.
• You may as well install energy efficient bulbs

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JOHANNESBURG – The City of Johannesburg on Thursday said exactly that as it was aware of the intense monetary environment and pressure on residents, its rates and assessment increments increases effectively one week from now were directed by expanding operating costs

Electricity rates are now up by 14.59%, followed by sanitation and water tariffs by 6.8%. Refusal removal rates are up by 4.3% whole property rate increased by 2%.

The high power climb is connected to the energy controller Nersa giving Eskom the go-ahead to charge clients and municipality more.

City Power’s Frank Hinda said: “We’re also on the receiving end as far as this is concerned. We’re cushioning the customer given that our increase from Eskom is higher.”

“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on lives and livelihoods of Johannesburg residents. This has seen many people struggling to keep up with their municipal accounts as you would all have seen. This has subsequently affected the collection of municipal rates and taxes that are a source of revenue for continued service delivery.”

Hinda said he understood that the 14.59% power climb passed on  to clients would hit residents pockets hard given the current monetary environment.

The average electricity user – prepaid or conventional – consuming 800 kilowatt-hours a month – can expect to fork out somewhere in the range  R200 and R260 more a month.

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President Ramaphosa said the decision followed a broad public interview and a lot of specialized work embraced by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. He said it would build the National Energy Regulator of SA’s authorizing edge for inserted age projects from 1MW to 100MW.

The changed guidelines will absolve age projects up to 100MW from the Nersa authorizing necessity, regardless of whether they are associated with the matrix.

This will eliminate a critical hindrance to interest in inserted age projects.

Ramaphosa’s declaration comes as the economy is wrestling with power outages after power provider Eskom inclined up its rotational burden shedding to Stage 4 because of consistent breakdowns.

The business has been requiring the public authority to expand the limit on inserted power age from 1MW to 50MW.

“It also demonstrates our commitment as the government to listen carefully to experts, to engage closely with our social partners, and to take on board new ideas to address our long-standing challenges,” he said.

Ramaphosa said that was a critical new advance in further transforming the power area towards accomplishing a steady and secure stock of energy.

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HOW DO I KNOW WHEN I AM GOING TO BE HIT BY LOAD SHEDDING?

The answer is very simple, know your power provider and check the correct load shedding schedules.

• City of Cape Town? Click here 
• Johannesburg? check here
• City of Tshwane? Click here
• City of Ekurhuleni? Check here
• Straight from Eskom? click here to check your load shedding schedule

For more information please check Energy expert Coalition by clicking here

Wondering how you can prepare for load shedding? 

Here are 7 simple ways to prepare for load shedding:

• Check your load shedding schedule regularly so you have enough time to prepare.
• Avoid power surges nuisance tripping: if you know that your area will be affected by Load shedding, switch off appliances, geysers, pool pumps, air conditioners, lights and other electrical equipment to reduce the risk of damage caused when the power comes back on.
• Use a solar geyser and also solar lamps when lights are out.
• Make sure your computer, laptop or phone is fully charged so you can still use them
• Draw some cash as the ATM will be offline
• Keep your bottles in the freezer so they are ice cold when load shedding starts.
• Prepare meals in advance as it is possible to wake up to no electricity and will be stuck to make breakfast or might not make it home in time to cook supper.

WHAT DOES THE DIFFERENT LOAD SHEDDING STAGES MEAN?

Stage 1: To keep the national grid stable, Eskom needs to shed 1000MW.

Stage 1 is the least disruptive of the schedules. Your area is likely to be hit Three times over a four-day period for 2 hours at a time or Three times over an eight-day period for 4 hours at a time

Stage 2:  To keep the national grid stable, Eskom needs to shed 2000MW

Stage 2 double the amount of the load shedding planned in stage 1 meaning your area is likely to be hit Six times over a four-day period for 2 hours at the time or Six times over an eight-day period for 4 hours at a time.

Stage 3: To keep the national grid stable, Eskom needs to shed at most 4000MW

Stage 3 increased by 50% of the amount of the load shedding planned in stage 2 meaning your area is likely to be hit Nine times over a four-day period for 2 hours at a time or Nine times over an eight-day period for 4 hours at a time.

Stage 4: To keep the national grid stable, Eskom needs to shed at least 4000MW

Stage 4 double the frequency of stage 2, meaning your area is likely to be hit Twelve times over a four-day period for 2 hours at a time or Twelve times over an eight-day period for 4 hours at a time.

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Late last year, South Africa saw the unforeseen implementation of stage 6 load shedding. The chairperson of Eskom Jabu Mabuza attributed the current crisis at Eskom to poor maintenance.

“Some of the reason we find ourselves where we are today is owing to maintenance not being done” he said.

The public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan on his hand sees the situation manageable. “It is not a bug crisis, it is something we are managing” said Pravin Gordhan.

The year 2019 was the worst year of load shedding according to a report by the council for specific and industrial research (CSIR).

In 2019 load shedding cost South Africa between R60 billion and R120 billion.

The total economic impact of load shedding over the past 10 years, could be a high as R338 billion.

How Load shedding affects you 

1. Stage 1: Requires the least amount of the load shedding (Up to 1,000 MW) and can be implemented three times over a four-day period for two hours at a time, or three times over an eight-day period for 4 hours at a time.
2. Stage 2: Will double the frequency of the stage 1, which means you will be scheduled for load shedding six times over a four-day period for two hours at a time, or six times over an eight-day period for four hours at a time.
3. Stage 3: Will increase the frequency of the stage 2 by 50 percent, which means you will be scheduled of load shedding nine times over a four-day period for two hours at a time, or nine times over an eight day period for four hours at a time.
4. Stage 4: Will double the frequency of the stage 2, which means you will be scheduled for load shedding 12 times over a four-day period for two hours at a time, or 12 times over an eight-day period for four hours at a time.

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Reacting in a composed parliamentary Q&A, Mboweni said that a feasible tax is the one that is cost-intelligent and incorporates every one of the expenses of offering a support, for example, mass buys.

“In response, National treasury has developed a tool for use by municipalities, that id used correctly it will see municipalities charging cost-reflective tariffs that will cover the cost of bulk purchases.

“Treasury through its structures, is also offering technical support to municipalities to assess and set cost-effective tariffs,” he said.

Mboweni said that treasury is additionally working close by the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs to jointly subsidize an investigation that objectives the best 20 municipal defaulters of Eskom and top 10 city defaulters of the water boards.

“The study is intended to assist municipalities to determine the true cost for the respective services, water and electricity, which will subsequently influence better tariffs,” he said

Problem with some municipalities

Mboweni said districts commonly run into issues when they do not ascertain taxes through logical methods, and simply force a CPI-gradual increment to the earlier year’s tariff.

“There are observations that some rural municipalities that have low revenue bases, have been found to be charging tariffs which are insufficient to cover the cost – or are not cost-reflective,” he said.

“In some cases, as the result of improper methods for setting tariffs, municipal councils reduce the proposed tariff based on their perception of what is affordable to their constituencies. Additionally, municipalities that have high distribution losses may also find it difficult to recover the cost the service.”

In a perfect world, the levies set by districts should take care of the expense of mass buys, and Mboweni said that National treasury reliably advocates this training.

Mboweni said that everyone of the spending plans of regions are evaluated by public and common depositories to decide if the financial plan of the region is subsidized or not.

In the event that the spending plan of a district is not subsidized, both public and common depositories decide the reasons why the spending plan is not supported and survey explicitly whether the tariffs are cost-reflective to cover all the expenditure.

“If the tariffs are cost-reflective then the tariffs will cover all the cost the render that service. If the tariffs are not cost-reflective then the municipality is advised to implement cost-reflective tariffs and provincial treasures will assist the municipality to implement such cost-reflective tariffs.”

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These value climbs are as of now sifting through to end-clients in various municipalities, as seen with ongoing value change notices from areas like the City of Joburg. The bank’s information shows that power spend is one of the biggest spend categories for section to working class clients, where the normal power spend by a client who holds its Entry Market bank account (Easy Account) increased by 9% (on average) between 2019 and 2020.

The normal month to month power spend by a centre market (Gold Account) client expanded by 15% while a mass-prosperous (Premier Account) client through 14% more on power a similar period. It added that clients routinely go to eBucks to enhance their power buys, utilizing R4.5 million worth of eBucks for power buys over a similar period.

“The reality is that all customers will need to factor a 15% increase on what they have been spending on electricity on a monthly basis, on account of a family spends generally R500 each month on power, that family needs to factor in any event an extra R75 to what they have been paying.

Fuel Price Increase

Drivers will likewise have to battle with higher fuel costs in April, with the cost of petrol now somewhere in the range of R1 and 95cents a litre more costly. The cost of 95 (ULP and LRP) went up R1 on Wednesday 7 April 2021, while the cost of 93 (ULP and LRP) climbed 95 cent a litre. In the interim, diesel (o,05% sulphur) increased by 65.20 cents a litre, while the cost of diesel (0,005% Sulphur) went up by 63.20 cents a litre.

Te cost of illuminating paraffin went up by 34.80 cents.The cost of illuminating paraffin (SMNRP) increased by 35 cents, while the greatest retail cost for LPGAS increased by 48 cents for each kilogram. With effect from 07 April 2021, the fuel levy in the price structure of petrol and diesel will therefore amount to 393 and 379 cents a litre respectively.

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