We make our money by charging a management fee on each meter. This covers the cost of the vending management system, technical support and network charges. We also recover a small percentage from the vending of tokens as this comes at a cost to us, such as point of sale UniPin charges, vat portion of transaction as well as various other ad hoc fees we incur.

We are a registered member of the STS association therefore should the company close down the meters are able to be moved to another prepaid company provided that they are also a registered member of the STS association. This process is known as a KEY CHANGE PROCESS (KCT).

It is perfectly legal to install a prepaid water meter on your property provided that it does not interfere with the main supply. Once the credit value on the meter is depleted, the meters shut off valve will close and prevent any further water from entering the premises. As the tenant is taking responsibility for their own usage and purchase, it remains their responsibility to purchase a new token to credit the meter so that it can resume supply. What the property owner is prohibited from doing is disabling the meter to prevent the tenant from loading tokens onto the meter. This is deemed to be interfering with the supply of water.

Yes, prepaid meters can be installed in frail care facilities however very careful consideration should be given to the type of meter, its purpose and capacity of the user to purchase and load tokens. It would make no sense to install such meters if the potential user is bedridden or dependent on machines for support.

A standard single-phase prepaid meter has a maximum capacity of 60A-80A. Should the rooms feeding off the meter exceed this capacity, the circuit breaker on the distribution board will trip. It is recommended that you consult with a certified electrician to inspect your electrical infrastructure and advise you on what options are available to you.

No. The meter draws power from the distribution board and the main supply. If there is a power outage the solar panel is unable to feed power back into the distribution board to power the meter.

In terms of Section 12 of the Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999, the property owner may not cause the non-supply or interrupt supply of services without a court order or if it is an emergency.

No. We do not require our customers to sign a contract. Meters are purchased outright and remain the property of the customer.

Yes. As mentioned above, your primary supply from Eskom / municipality remains in place hence you are still required to pay the account. The money paid out by the user when purchasing tokens does get paid over to you in the current month which you then use to pay your account.

Whilst the rate per kWh is comparable to the existing tariffs, because the user is having to take responsibility for their purchase they are aware of their day to day consumption. It has been proven that this awareness promotes a culture of responsibility and care which in turn leads to a reduction in consumption.

There is no definitive answer to this question as it will depend entirely on the terms and conditions of the lease agreement. For example, if the lease agreement stipulates that the rental is inclusive of all utilities, the landlord would not be allowed to install the meter after the lease has been signed as this would alter the terms of the lease. If your lease stipulates that you are liable to pay for all the utilities, the landlord would in all probability be allowed to install a prepaid meter. If a prepaid meter exists on the property prior to occupation, you would be required to use the meter. It is highly recommended that legal advice be sought in this regard.

Our meters are classified as sub-meters and in no way interfere with the supply from the municipality or Eskom. They are installed after the main supply so no additional permission or approval is required. Our meters are merely used to monitor and collect on a tenant's purchases and usage so that the property owner may recover their money in order to pay their utility accounts. The property owner is still liable to pay the municipal/Eskom account.

The sub-meters are STS compliant meters (approved standard with Eskom) and PrepaidMeters.co.za is registered with Eskom under Supplier Group Code: 008171. Our meters are classified as sub-meters and in no way interfere with the supply from the municipality or Eskom. They are installed after the main supply so no additional permission is required. Our meters are merely used to monitor and collect on a tenant's purchases and usage so that the property owner may recover their money in order to pay their utility accounts. The property owner is still liable to pay the municipal/Eskom account.

No. We supply prepaid meters that are installed after the bulk or primary supply of the municipal meter or Eskom meter. The prepaid meter is an effective means of ensuring that the user takes responsibility for their own consumption and usage. These meters are ideally suited for sectional title properties, rental properties, student accommodations etc.

A prepaid sub-meter is a meter that is installed within the boundaries of your property and after the primary or bulk supply. One of the biggest challenges facing property owners today is the collection of money for utilities. Many cases exist where tenants have run up large utility expenses and then abscond leaving the property owner to settle the outstanding account. With prepaid sub-metering, the property owner collects the money for the utilities upfront by way of the user having to purchase their utility prior to consumption.