Apart from merely stating your name and address, the size and number of your erf and the name of your councillor, the cost items reflected on your monthly municipal statement deserves careful scrutiny.
On that statement, you can see what you have been charged for property rates; what you have to pay towards your consumption of the four essential services (water, electricity, sewer, refuse) for a particular month, as well as the fixed fees you are required to pay towards maintaining the basic infrastructure that is necessary to deliver all of the aforegoing to your home.
Charges vary based on the value of your property and usage. The exception here is registered indigent households whose properties have been valued at less than R350 thousand.
In particular, we urge residents to pay attention to two major cost items reflected on their monthly municipal statements:
• Water is billed on a sliding scale: The more you use, the higher the cost per kilolitre (kℓ). For example, 0 – 6 kℓ is the cheapest, while 19 – 45 kℓ costs more per unit.
• Electricity usage is billed in accordance with the inclining block tariffs, while connection size also impacts the capacity and basic charges levied each month.
The comparison between charges levied in terms of single-phase residential properties who are pre-paid customers and those who make use of credit meters is noteworthy. Yet again, the less you use and the smaller your connection size, the less you pay.
Tips for managing your municipal account:
- Check your municipal statement regularly.
- Take your own meter readings, preferably on the same day each
month, and submit those readings via the Collab Citizen app. Be sure to state your account or erf number and to attach a legible shot of the actual meter reading. - Remember, Overstrand Municipality banks with ABSA!
- When making EFT payments, the RECIPIENT is Overstrand Municipality (not to be confused with Overberg District Municipality).
- Also, be sure to always use the correct reference number to avoid
misallocated payments or penalties.
