Frequently asked questions

Electricity tariffs are regulated by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).

If you live in Gauteng, you’ll encounter different rates depending on the municipality that governs your area. Each municipality sets its own tariff based on NERSA-approved rates. For example, the tariff in the City of Tshwane will differ from those in the City of Johannesburg or Ekurhuleni.

In conclusion, understanding the varying electricity tariffs across municipalities in Gauteng is essential for managing your energy costs effectively. Each municipality, while adhering to
NERSA’s guidelines, sets its own rates, which can significantly impact your utility expenses.

Whether you’re in the City of Tshwane, Johannesburg, or Ekurhuleni, staying informed about your area’s specific tariffs will help you make better decisions regarding your electricity usage and budgeting.

Electricity tariffs are regulated by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA –www.nersa.org.za). At MyVoltage, we apply the approved tariffs to ensure you are charged accurately and in line with legal requirements, giving you peace of mind that you are not overpaying.

Tariffs for non-local authorities are updated annually from 1 April to 31 March, while those for local authorities are updated from 1 July to 30 June.

You can visit your local municipality’s website for tariff information.

A convenience fee is charged by businesses or service providers to cover the cost of offering convenient payment options. This fee typically applies to certain payment methods that may have higher processing costs for the business.

Please note that a 10% convenience fee is applied to certain payment methods when recharging your Wallet. It is important to understand that these fees are not charged by MyVoltage, but by the merchant providing the payment service. Below is a breakdown of our available payment methods and their corresponding fees:

• Ozow instant EFT: 0%
• Traditional EFT: 0%
• UNIPIN: 10%
• Credit and debit card: 10%
• Scan to pay: 10%
• Visa click to pay: 10%

Please note that, as per the agreement between MyVoltage and the Body Corporate, and in line with municipal tariffs, fixed charges are included in the invoice issued on the 1st day of each month.

Your fixed charges are composed of the following:

1. Municipal Charges

Each municipality has its own tariff structure, which may include fixed charges such as circuit breaker charges (for commercial buildings), water and sanitation fees, and other specified costs.

In South Africa, fixed charges for municipalities refer to a set fee that residents and businesses must pay, regardless of their consumption of services like water, electricity, or sewage.

These charges cover the costs of maintaining and operating the infrastructure and services provided by the municipality. They are often included in utility bills and are used to ensure the municipality can provide consistent service, support maintenance, and cover administrative expenses.

These charges are added to your MyVoltage invoice at the beginning of each month and are deducted from your Wallet. MyVoltage then pays these amounts over to the city council, or in some cases, to the body corporate, who will forward the payment to the city council.

2. MyVoltage Smart Meter Fee

As agreed with the Body Corporate, a smart meter fee is billed monthly. This fee covers the costs of implementing and maintaining the smart metering system, including infrastructure, ongoing maintenance, data management, security, customer support, and funding for future innovations and upgrades. The advanced technology enables real-time monitoring and provides more accurate, detailed data than traditional utility meters.

Effect of Fixed Charges on Your Account

Once fixed charges are billed, the amount is debited from your available funds. If your account lacks sufficient funds, it could lead to an overdraft and potentially a service disconnection. To avoid any disruption, we recommend keeping enough funds in your account to cover these fixed charges.

A smart meter fee is a charge imposed by MyVoltage and other utility metering companies (with approval from the Body Corporate) to cover the installation, maintenance, and use of smart meters.

MyVoltage smart meters are advanced devices that measure and record electricity, water, or gas consumption in real-time. They provide more accurate and detailed information compared to traditional meters.

This fee helps cover the costs of deploying and managing these advanced meters, which offer benefits such as increased efficiency, remote monitoring, and better management of energy use for both consumers and utility providers.

Gas tariffs are set by the Department of Energy and are updated and published regularly.

Some tariff structures use an incline block tariff system, as prescribed by local authorities or NERSA. With this system, the more you use, the higher the cost per unit of electricity for the same month.

For example, the City of Tshwane’s domestic tariffs for 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024 are:

Block 1 (0 – 100 kWh): R 2.41 per kWh

Block 2 (101 – 400 kWh): R 2.82 per kWh

Block 3 (401 – 650 kWh): R 3.07 per kWh

Block 4 (more than 650 kWh): R 3.31 per kWh

At the start of each month, you begin at the first tariff block and are charged R 2.41 per kWh. If your usage exceeds 100 kWh, you’ll move to the second tariff block and be billed at R 2.82 per kWh. If you consume more than 400 kWh in that month, your rate increases to R 3.07 per kWh. If your consumption exceeds 650 kWh, you’ll be charged at the highest rate of R 3.31 per kWh.

Each municipality has their own incline block tariff structure.

The cycle resets at the beginning of each month, and you start again at the first tariff block.

This is not double billing. The system displays details of all consumption in each tariff block for transparency.

It’s normal to move between tariff blocks throughout the day. Once your usage exceeds the limit of a tariff block, any additional consumption for that day is billed at the next tariff block rate.

This is shown as a separate line item on your invoice to provide a clear breakdown of how your charges are calculated.

Daily invoices are based on actual consumption, not estimates. Each invoice includes the opening and closing readings for every meter linked to your unit. (You can find your daily invoices under the Billing tab in the Client Zone.)

The difference between these readings represents your daily consumption. Billing is based on the meter reading taken at midnight each day. This reading is then updated in your Client Zone profile at midnight.

The cost is calculated by multiplying the number of units consumed (e.g., 10 kWh) by the applicable tariff. If inclined block tariffs apply, the rate depends on the relevant tariff block. The amount shown on the invoice excludes VAT, which will be added to the total invoice amount.

Before contacting Customer Care to dispute a meter reading, compare the opening or closing readings of the disputed meter (e.g., water meter) with those on your latest invoice.

Remember, the readings on the invoice are taken at midnight of the previous day, and there may have been additional consumption since then. This timing difference doesn’t necessarily indicate a billing error.

If you find a significant discrepancy, take a photo of the meter that clearly shows the serial number and the current reading. Also include the time the photo was taken. Email the photo to Customer Care at info@myvoltage.co.za for further investigation.

Technology undoubtedly enhances our lives, yet it is not without limitations. While communication between your meter and the cloud server functions smoothly 99% of the time, occasional disruptions do happen. When external interference, beyond the control of MyVoltage, interrupts the meter’s communication, the device loses signal, and readings fail to transmit to our server for billing. This does not mean that the meter stops measuring consumption. It still measures your consumption and stores it until it is transmitted to our cloud-based platform.

This interruption is analogous to being in an area with no mobile phone signal, where incoming messages are halted until signal restoration, after which messages and notifications start streaming in. Similarly, our system, in the event of a communication failure, delays uploading readings to MyVoltage’s server for billing. As MyVoltage does not rely on estimates but bills based on actual readings, once the signal is re-established, the billing process commences, and the consumption for the affected period is consolidated into one invoice.

We empathize with the frustration this may cause. Rest assured, we exert our utmost efforts to ensure continuous communication for all devices daily. Any issues that arise are promptly addressed as soon as we become aware of them.

Each day, a new invoice is generated that includes all utilities used during the previous day, such as electricity, water, gas, and fixed charges. The total amount of this invoice is deducted from your available balance on your Wallet. This means that the funds are allocated to the invoice as a whole, rather than being distributed based on the individual consumption of each
resource.

1. Actual readings

Billing is based on actual readings from your meter(s). Our smart meters provide more accurate measurements compared to traditional meters. Your bill reflects your actual usage: higher consumption results in higher billing. We provide tools to help you track your usage and offer visibility into your consumption patterns through daily and monthly data available on your profile.

It is important to note that our meters cannot affect your usage; they are merely tools to measure your consumption and do not have any influence on it.

2. Tariffs

Billing follows tariffs set by NERSA and the relevant municipality. Our system adapts to different municipalities’ incline block tariff structures, where higher consumption results in higher unit prices. The tariff pricing is divided into blocks, with each subsequent block costing more per unit as consumption increases. To keep costs down, we recommend conserving water and electricity to stay within the lower-cost blocks. The tariff structure
resets at the start of each month.

3. Convenience fees

Payments made using UNIPIN or credit/debit card options incur a 10% convenience fee. To avoid this extra charge and reduce your utility expenses, consider using the Ozow instant EFT payment method, which does not have this additional fee.

Consumption Verification

To verify your consumption, follow these steps:

1. Electricity

• Review consumption graphs

Analyse the consumption graphs on your profile to identify periods of high usage. This can help you pinpoint appliances or equipment that may be consuming a lot of power. Adjust their usage to minimize costs.

• Check for discrepancies

If you notice discrepancies, contact us to arrange a switch test. This test will confirm if the readings on your bill correspond to the meter linked to your unit.

• Conduct a switch test

Switch off all circuits in your house’s distribution board (DB) and your inverter for approximately 4 hours. If your consumption graph still shows usage during this period, it suggests there may be an alternative connection within your circuit. Contact us for a detailed hourly usage report to investigate further.

• Engage an electrician

We recommend hiring an electrician for a more in-depth investigation, as our
responsibility is limited to metering and does not extend to investigating issues beyond the meter.

• Check for external devices

If, after disconnecting the mains and inverter, you still see usage, it could mean another device, such as a light, is connected beyond where MyVoltage installed the meter. According to Clause 13 of the Service Level Agreement, the Body Corporate is responsible for network maintenance and reticulation. Request the Body Corporate to hire an independent electrical contractor for further investigation.

2. Water 

To verify your water bill, compare the reading on your water meter with the final reading shown on your latest invoice. This will help you spot any differences. Please note that the invoice readings are taken at midnight the day before, so some water might have been used since then. If you find any significant differences, take a clear photo of the meter, making sure the serial number and odometer reading are visible. Email the photo to us for further review.