PUBLIC NOTICE: SMART Water Meter Billing Explained
Meter Reading Interval Period
Once your SMART Water Meter has been installed you may note that your municipal account reflects a higher-than-normal level of water consumption which results in higher billing charges. This is caused by the change in the meter reading interval period, from the old meter to the new meters.
To address this challenge, George Municipality will implement a maximum interval period of 35 days, and this will be applied from the November 2023 monthly billing onwards. This interval period will be applied for a number of months until the interval period is aligned to the monthly reading date of the 15th of each month. This will prevent higher consumption charges due to the rising block tariff.
Old Meter Reading
After installation, there is an administrative changeover which links the SMART Water Meter to your account. In isolated cases some consumers with a SMART Water Meter have been billed on an estimate of the old meter where this changeover has not taken place yet.
To ensure that billing is undertaken correctly and accurately, please expect to see Meter Readers still come through to check the SMART water meter readings during the changeover process until the integration of the billing system with the electronic meter data is complete.
When will I be able to reconcile my account to the consumption readings on my SMART water meter?
This process might take up to 3 months or longer, this is due to the administrative changeover process after installation until the integration of the billing system with the electronic meter data is completed.
What if I was already billed at a higher-than-normal consumption due to a longer interval period?
Please contact our Finance Department for assistance in rectifying your billing, on 044 801 9111 or 072 501 1843 after hours or e-mail accounts@george.gov.za
When can I register my NEW SMART Water Meter?
Residents can register their new SMART Water Meter to track their own daily water consumption, respond to leakage alerts and manage multiple meters in one space. As the resident you will receive high usage warnings via SMS and Email and the near real-time consumption allows you to understand exactly where and when you are using water right now. Immediately after installation, please proceed to register your SMART water meter by following the link to the SMART WATER METER Registration Page or by downloading the Ontec George Home App from Google Play Store or iStore. The Ontec George Home App will guide you on the steps to be taken to register.
For queries related to the smart meter registration process please contact Ontec at 044 873 5474
For any queries related to meter readings and billing please contact George Municipality Financial department at 044 801 9111 or 072 501 1843 after hours or e-mail accounts@george.gov.za