The objective of the division in the Electricity & Energy directorate is to ensure that electricity supplies of an acceptable standard are made available to customers, throughout the municipality’s licensed area of supply, at affordable costs and at the right time. This involves planning for the future by forecasting electrical loads for the medium and long term, modeling the network to test its capacity to meet such loads and, where necessary, designing, costing and making budget provision for network reinforcements. 

The division also responds to enquiries from developers to determine and meet their short-term electricity requirements.

You can buy pre-paid electricity in three (3) ways.

1)     Visit your nearest vendor or Customer Care office with either your electricity swipe card or an old token for your address. Make sure that the vendor or cashier counts the money in front of you. Check your change in front of the vendor or cashier. If you leave before checking your change, you are implying that you are satisfied with the transaction. Any error is much more difficult to resolve at a later stage. Make sure that the correct details (pre-paid meter number etc) are printed on the token and that the amount is correct.

2)     You can also purchase pre-paid electricity via the NMBM’s IVR telephone system. You have to register as an IVR user by supplying your banking details; you will receive a pin code, which you must use when doing the purchase via your cell phone. See all the benefits of the IVR system and register as a user today! Read more

3)     You can register the NMBM as a beneficiary on your on-line banking and purchase electricity via your bank.  

• Munelek Customer Care Call Centre at 041 506 5595; quote the pole number.

• Alternatively, dial  the following number: 0800 20 50 50

• Telephone the Customer Care Help-line on tel: 041-506 5555
• Email: customercare@mandelametro.gov.za
• Fax: 041 506 1304
• At any of the 11 walk-in Customer Care Centres

Normally a week, depending on the availability of meters from the suppliers.

For conventional meters, the cost is R450. No deposit is required for a prepaid meter. 

(Prepaid electricity meter software update - Token Identification update - TID)

WHY MUST PREPAID ELECTRICITY METERS BE UPDATED?

• The current pre-paid electricity metering software will expire in 2024 for all prepaid electricity meters in South Africa.
• Prepaid meters must be updated, or you won’t be able to recharge your meter with new tokens and won’t have a power supply.
• Updates to the software of pre-paid electricity meters will be done in a phased approach across the Metro to ensure all meters are updated ahead of the deadline.
• Only when an area is due for updating, customers will get the UPDATE codes with their normal purchase. Customers in areas that have not been reached yet as per the schedule, will not be eligible to update their meters yet.

WHICH METERS MUST BE UPDATED?

• All prepaid electricity meters in South Africa.

BY WHEN MUST METERS BE UPDATED?

• All prepaid meters must be updated by November 2024.

WILL ALL CUSTOMERS BE ABLE TO UPDATE THEIR METERS IMMEDIATELY?

• No.
• Prepaid Meters will be updated in accordance with the area schedule below provided by the Municipality. Only when an area is being updated as per the schedule, will update codes be issued when making a purchase. Update codes will not be issued to areas not earmarked for updating in a certain month and customers in the areas that have not yet been reached for updating, will not yet be eligible to update their meters.

AREA SCHEDULE FOR UPDATES

Ward No     Activation Date

• 16 - Activated
• 1  - Activated
• 2  - 7 June 2022
• 3, 4, 5  - 25 June 2022
• 6, 7, 8  - 25 July 2022
• 9, 10, 11 - 25 August 2022
• 12, 13, 14 - 25 September 2022
• 15, 17, 18  - 25 October 2022
• 19, 20,  21  - 25 November 2022
• 22, 23, 24  - 27 December 2022
• 25, 26,  27  - 25 January 2023
• 28, 29, 30  - 25 February 2023
• 31, 32, 33  - 25 March 2023
• 34, 35, 36  - 25 April 2023
• 37, 38, 39  - 25 May 2023
• 40, 41, 42  - 25 June 2023
• 43, 44, 45  - 25 July 2023
• 46, 47, 48  - 25 August 2023
• 49, 50, 51  - 25 September 2023
• 52, 53, 54  - 25 October 2023
• 55, 56, 57  - 25 November 2023

HOW SHOULD METERS BE UPDATED?

• Most customers prefer updating their own meters. You will be able to update your own meter easily when making an electricity purchase.
• When making a purchase for the earmarked area (as per schedule), two 20-digit update codes will be included, along with the usual electricity token, as soon as updates are being done in your area and you are eligible for the update.
• The schedule will be made available on the NMBM website

Follow the easy steps below to enter your codes WHEN your area is scheduled for an update:

• Enter the first 20 digits of the update code and wait for it to be accepted.
• Enter the second 20 digits of the update code and wait for it to be accepted.
• Enter your 20-digit token to recharge your units as normal.

ARE ALL NMBM PREPAID METERS AFFECTED BY THE TID ROLL-OVER?

• Yes, as soon as the codes are received.

HOW LONG ARE THE UPDATE CODES VALID FOR?

• For as long as you have not yet utilised the token, but make sure you enter an unused token on the meter first.

WHAT HAPPENS IF l LOSE MY SLIP? WILL l BE ABLE TO GET THE 40 DIGITS AGAIN?

• You will have to call the Municipality to get the code. Currently, there is no way to get a copy from a vendor.

WHO CAN I CONTACT IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?

• Please call the Electricity and Energy Call center at 041 506 5595

• Take your ID with you to your nearest municipal enquiries office. You will be asked the address of the property you plan to vacate and the date on which you wish to have your services disconnected.
• This has to be done at least four workings days prior to the date on which you want the services terminated
• The clerk will process your request on-line and issue you with a copy as proof. 

• Take your ID and the correct address where you require the connection to your nearest municipal enquiries office. Take money or a chequebook along with you, as deposits and connection fees are payable.
• In terms of the relevant NMBM By-law, the institution may contract with the registered owner of a property only: therefore you must be the registered owner in order to open a service (water and/or electricity) account.
• Where the owner cannot report to the counter to sign the contract/agreement form, the owner may send a duly authorised person, together with a power of delegation letter, in order to open the account. Note that the account will be opened in the owner’s name – not in the name of the delegated representative.
• Tenants cannot open accounts in their own names.
• Request the enquiry clerk for assistance to open an account at the counter and ask about the deposit and connection fees.
• The connection form will be completed on-line, whereafter the required deposit is payable at the cashiers in the banking hall.
• The cashier will keep your connection form and forward it to the correct department for connection.
• You will receive a copy with your receipt printed on the connection form.

• Single Phase – R 570 (excluding VAT)
• Three Phase –  R570 (excluding VAT)
• Large Businesses – R1 210.00 (excluding VAT)

You can read your own meters and then telephone your nearest main municipal office with the readings and the date they were taken. At least once a year, you will be expected to make an appointment to meet a meter reader at your premises in order to confirm the readings. 

A meter reader reads your meter each month. If the meter reader is unable to read your meter for some reason (e.g. .dogs or a locked gate), he may record an estimated reading. Once an actual reading is taken and the estimated reading was found to be lowerthan the actual reading, your account will be higher because of the amount you were undercharged during the unread period. If, once an actual reading is taken, the estimated reading was found to be higher than the actual reading, your account will be lower because of the amount you were overcharged during the unread period