Prepaid H₂O meters now available
The City of Windhoek (CoW) now offers prepaid water meters to interested residents, including new connections and replacement, or the conversion of existing postpaid to prepaid meter connections.According to the CoW, the prepaid water meters operate on the same principle as the prepaid electricity meters. A 20-digit code will be issued to the consumer upon purchase of units and once entered into the Customer Interface Unit (CIU), it will allow the prepaid water meter to discharge the volume of water which was purchased.
The prepaid meter will shut the water supply off once all credits have been consumed.
Cost
The prepaid water service connection cost is subject to change, but is currently N$4 486.66 (excl. VAT). There are two payment options available when applying for a prepaid water service connection, namely choosing to pay for it upfront, or opting for a 5-year repayment plan (N$3.90/kL incorporated in the tariff).
The CoW said that the benefits of a prepaid water service include allowing consumers to take full control of their water consumption, thus preventing overspending and alerting them of any water leakages on their premises. Furthermore, consumers will be in control of how much and how often they top up credits, and they will not have to worry about building up debt as they purchase their water before using it, making them more aware of their water consumption costs.
Additionally, consumers will not receive water bills as they will pay in advance for services and consumption, and they will know what their remaining balance is as it is displayed clearly on the CIU, which will help you avoid unpleasant surprises.
However, the CoW said that the prepayment water tariff excludes rates and tax charges, for which consumers will continue to receive a municipal bill.
Applications
Applications must be completed, signed, and stored for record-keeping purposes; therefore, clients are urged to visit the City of Windhoek head office in Independence Avenue or any of the municipality’s cash halls to complete an application form.
To apply, complete the application at CoW’s enquiries desk. This should be done by the property owner or their proxy. Thereafter obtain a sundry invoice for payment from client service agents. Finally, the application and receipt will be forwarded to Bulk Water Division for installation and filing.
Remember that the application must be completed by owner of the property; a certified copy of the identify documents of registered/property owner must be submitted; municipal bill(s) must be paid up to date; and payment of approval installation costs must be provided.
Once the paperwork is in order and approved, it will take around four weeks to install the prepaid water meter.
For more info, contact the CoW’s customer care centre at 061 290 3777 or [email protected]