Illegal power connections are on the rise in Mzingazi

MORE than 300 illegal electricity connections and 1 054 tampered meters have been discovered during Eskom’s recent audit of households in Mzingazi.

Eskom audited more than 1 500 households in Mzingazi after an analysis revealed that the power utility is only receiving 2% of the potential revenue from the area.

The audit is part of a campaign that will be rolled out in other areas with high energy losses.

‘Audits are still ongoing in Empangeni, Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg and Margate,’ said Eskom KZN Communications and Stakeholder Manager, Joyce Zingoni.

‘The process is time consuming, but the teams are committed and have been working meticulously,’ Zingoni said.

If a household is found connected illegally, Eskom issues a tamper notice, removes the cables and meters and connects the household legally.

At households where tampering or bypassing of meters are detected, tamper notices are issued and the tampered meters are removed and replaced with new sealed meters.

Eskom KZN General Manager, Agnes Mlambo, has urged communities to pay for the power they use.

She further warned that illegal connections are dangerous.

‘Many children are injured or killed each year because of illegal connections. Communities should report any unsafe installations to Eskom,’ she said.

Energy saving tips:

Always switch off lights in unoccupied rooms.

Unplug all appliances you are not using.

Don’t leave computers, TVs and iPads on standby – if you do, these appliances use up to 15% of the power they normally use when on.

Keep curtains and blinds open during the day to optimise natural light and postpone switching on lights until it gets dark.

In summer:

Open windows and doors to allow a cool breeze to circulate through the house, thereby delaying switching on your air conditioner

If you have to switch on the air conditioner, keep it at a comfortable 22 degrees. Ideally, the difference between the inside and outside temperatures should not be more than 10 degrees.

Install energy and water saving shower heads. A flow rate of less than 10 litres per minute means you use much less hot water and your geyser uses much less electricity to reheat a smaller amount of replacement water.

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