Payment plan proposed for water billing error

The eThekwini Municipality has announced that customers affected by the technical error of 6kl of water undue credit to their accounts will need to sign up for a payment plan. They will be required to pay an additional R180 a month on their municipal bill until the debt is paid in full.

Affected customers can visit one of the city’s Sizakala Centres on or before March 31. The payment plan carries the following conditions:

• The payment plan will be guided by the maximum repayment of R180 a month for no longer than 36 months.
• Interest accrued will be reversed or written off.
• No interest will be charged for the duration of the agreed repayment period.
• A payment plan will be for the total debt owed by the customer.
• If the customer has an existing plan, this will be cancelled, and a new agreement will be entered into without any down payment.
• The conditions of the previous debt relief will apply to all customers affected by the water billing adjustment.

eThekwini spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said the above conditions only apply to customers who were affected by water billing adjustments.

“Should customers fail to visit our Customer Service Centres and enter into a payment plan on or before the deadline, credit control and debt collection measures will come into effect, said Ms Sisilana. “Revenue Clearance Certificates will only be issued once all the debt has been settled, including total debt in respect of the water adjustment.”