Second phase of billing regionalization to kick-in
City of Johannesburg is days away from launching the second phase of its billing regionalization which would ensure that the entire City is regionalized.
The second phase of billing regionalization will officially be launched on the 1st May 2017 to include the remaining regions: D (Soweto), F (Inner-City) and G (Lenasia, Ennerdale).
City’s Spokesman Kgamanyane Maphologela, says the second phase follows on the successful launch of the first phase which was launched on the 1st of February 2017. The first phase was launched in the following regions: A (Midrand), B (Randburg, Northcliff and Rosebank), C (Roodepoort) and E (Sandton). This means after the May 2017 launch, all the City’s seven regions will be fully regionalized.
Maphologela says, the billing regionalization will see the City streamlining its billing operations which will result in improved billing accuracy, the ability of customers to choose their own due dates, regional meter reading, reduced long estimate billing and audit queries, limiting collection dates and informed reporting per region to afford improvement and problem solving.
“The benefits of this billing regionalization also include the fact that customers now have the freedom to choose their own due dates in which to pay the City between the 15th and the last day of the month. If the customer chooses the last day of the month as their preferred due date, this will always default to the last day of the following month, irrespective the number of days each month has,” says Maphologela.
Maphologela says with the implementation of the billing regionalization, the City intends to work faster and more efficiently by improving the customers’ experience. This also means the City would significantly reduce the previously 21 portions it used to bill to only billing seven regions going forward.
Ratepayers will also now be able to check online when their electricity and water meters would be read. Customers can check the meter reading schedules online by visiting the City’s website www.joburg.org.za, click on the e-Services button and put in their suburb or area to get the schedule.
Customers wishing to choose their own due dates can do so by visiting any of the City’s Customer Services Centres, phone the Call Centre on 0860 Joburg (562 874) or email to duedates@joburg.org.za
Maphologela says the City anticipates minimal teething problems with the second phase of regionalization as the remaining regions switch over.
