Local authorities have highlighted concerns over Nampower’s prepayment installation rollout.
The bulk electricity supplier aims to convert all its distributing customers’ conventional metres into pre-paid metres by July 2025.
Nampower engaged stakeholders on the prepayment system installation project at a meeting held at Keetmanshoop.
Local authority representatives maintained that the requirement to prepay electricity may lead to frequent power supply disconnections.
The Councillor of Bethanie Village, Diederiki Frederick, says, “Going over to this pre-paid system, I foresee a big problem because we cannot even pay the month’s bill. We cannot even generate enough for the monthly bill.”
Nampower’s Head of Business Applications, John Nangolo, said arrangements can be made to avert electricity supply disconnection when the prepayment metres run out of credit.
The power utility urged electricity users to at least top up their pre-paid metre credit 10 days before it runs out.
“When it is now that time to disconnect and there is no credit, and you know also that you have received the message, you have acknowledged it maybe, but you just don’t have money, normally there is 24-hours before the actual disconnection happens, but you are also welcome to negotiate to say I don’t have money.”
NamPower also emphasised that the pre-payment systems will only be installed once the affected customers enter into an agreement with Nampower.
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