One of the 17 non-functional transformers in Finetown

Thousands of Finetown residents go for years without electricity

April 28, 2023April 28, 2023 Admin Eskom, Finetown 1 min read

Thousands of Finetown residents have been in the dark for more than 4 years, with 17 transformers not in operation due to explosions and failures as a result of network overloading that is caused by illegal connections, meter tampering, unauthorized operations on the network, non-payment and electricity tokens purchases from ghost vendors.

By Lebohang Ndashe – Intern

OnTuesday, 25 April, GLOBE POST reported about some frustrated residents who have not had electricity since January 2022, Eskom has responded saying: “The requirement for the replacement of the transformer, normalisation of the network and the subsequent restoration of supply is for the customers feeding from a particular feeder or transformer to reach 60% payment level of the R6 052.00 of the reconnection fee or the R500.00 Deferred Payment Arrangement (DPA) deposit. Where customers pay the DPA deposit, the balance or R5 552.00 would have to be settled within a six months period,” said Ronel Kotze, Eskom Gauteng’s spokesperson.

She added: “The process will also be subject to the availability of material where damaged meters and stolen cables would be replaced before new transformers are installed. This is necessary in order to ensure that all customers that have paid the R500.00 deposits are able to access and purchase their electricity without any hindrance.”

To date, approximately 520 customers have paid the R500 minimum deposit in line with the DPA and 4 new transformers have been installed in the areas that have reached 60% of the minimum R500 DPA deposit payment threshold.

Eskom appeals to the public to use electricity responsibly, refrain from illegal connections and from operating on the Eskom network, bypassing meters, tampering with the system and vandalizing the electricity infrastructure in order to avoid more network equipment failing.

“We also encourage the public to pay for the electricity and purchase their electricity tokens from approved Eskom vendors only,” Kotze concluded.