How to dispute a City of Johannesburg bill, step by step

The City's own policy sets out a staged process for disputing an account: a query, a written dispute after 30 days, then an appeal or the City's Ombudsman after 90 days. It also sets payment rules while you dispute. This guide walks through each step with the time limits, what to keep paying, what to keep as proof, and what to do if the City cuts your supply.

General information, not legal advice.

The process at a glance

Step	When	What you do	Policy clause
1. Query	As soon as you see the problem	Phone the Call Centre or visit a Customer Service Centre. Get a reference number	16.1
2. Written dispute	If not resolved to your satisfaction 30 days after the query	Lodge a written query stating the nature of the dispute and the service	16.2
3. Appeal or Ombudsman	If not resolved 90 days after the query or dispute	Appeal to the City Manager, or refer to the City's Ombudsman, in writing. An appeal against a decision has a 21-day limit (s62(1))	16.5, 16.6; s62(1)
4. Outside the City	If still unresolved	Court or another independent forum (clause 16.9); a complaint to the Public Protector is a separate route the policy doesn't mention	16.9 (court only)

The source is clause 16 of the City's Credit Control and Debt Collection Policy.

Step 1: lodge a query

Say what is wrong and which service it relates to. Do it by phone through the Call Centre (the City's meter-reading page gives 0860 562 874), or in person at a Customer Service Centre. Get a reference number. Clause 16.1.2 states this for the in-person route, so ask for one by phone too.

For electricity, City Power's 15 July 2025 statement also gives billing@citypower.co.za and 011 490 7484. Still log the query with the City, so you have a reference number.

Clause 16.7 says that when you query an account, you must give full personal particulars: identification, all your account numbers with the City, and contact details.

Section 95 of the Municipal Systems Act says a municipality must, within its financial and administrative capacity, "provide accessible mechanisms for those persons to query or verify accounts and metered consumption, and appeal procedures which allow such persons to receive prompt redress for inaccurate accounts" (section 95).

Step 2: written dispute after 30 days

If the query is not resolved to your satisfaction after 30 days, you "may declare a dispute by lodging a written query" saying what the dispute is and which service it relates to (clause 16.2). Put the reference number at the top, attach proof, and ask for a written outcome. The free OurPower dispute-letter tool can build the letter for you in your browser. It does not send it. Keep a copy and proof of delivery.

The City must investigate and tell you the result. If the query is found correct, it "will adjust the account accordingly" (clause 16.4).

Step 3: appeal or Ombudsman after 90 days

If 90 days after the query or the dispute it is still not resolved to your satisfaction, you may either:

appeal the decision, or the failure to decide, to the City Manager, in terms of section 62 of the Municipal Systems Act; or
refer the matter to conciliation or mediation at the office of the City's Ombudsman.

Either must be in writing and set out the grounds (clause 16.5 and 16.6).

Watch the appeal deadline. Section 62(1) of the Municipal Systems Act says an appeal against a decision is made "by giving written notice of the appeal and reasons to the municipal manager within 21 days of the date of the notification of the decision" (section 62). So if the City has told you its decision, don't wait for the 90 days: ask in writing how the 21 days applies to you, and get advice.

Step 4: outside the City

Clause 16.9 recognises your right to have a dispute decided by a court or another independent forum, once the notice required before legal action against an organ of state has been given. Get legal advice first.

The Public Protector can investigate complaints about state bodies, including municipalities (see the Public Protector's website). The City's policy does not mention it, and we could not confirm its filing rules from the sources we used, so check its website for what it needs.

What to keep paying

Clause 16.3 says a query or dispute "must be accompanied by payment of, at least, the total amount outstanding on the account." It then says that where a portion is under query or dispute, "payment shall be based on average monthly previous charges before the query/dispute arises until such query/dispute is resolved." Clause 16.6 repeats this for appeals.

One reading is: pay the undisputed part in full, and pay the disputed service at what you normally paid before the problem started. The two sentences do not fit together perfectly, so ask the City in writing what amount it expects. If you pay less than the total outstanding, the City may charge interest on the difference: see interest on a disputed bill.

Clause 29.1.11 lets the City restrict or disconnect any service for non-payment, even if you have paid for other services. So holding back a disputed line can put your other services at risk.

Section 102(2) of the Municipal Systems Act adds a limit on the City's powers. Section 102(1) lets a municipality consolidate your accounts, credit a payment against any of them, and apply credit control measures to arrears. Subsection (2) says that does not apply "where there is a dispute ... concerning any specific amount claimed". See section 102. The words "specific amount" matter: it needs a real dispute about a stated amount, not a general complaint. Do not treat it as a licence to stop paying.

SALGA advises the same in spirit: confirm the error, dispute formally in writing with documents, and keep engaging with the municipality. If services are cut, it warns, "it becomes your problem" (EWN, 9 September 2026).

Reference numbers and proof to keep

The query reference number, with date and agent's name.
Copies of your bills, with the disputed lines marked.
Meter photos showing meter number, reading and date.
Proof of every payment made while disputing.
Your letters with proof of delivery, and every reply.

If they cut you off

Clauses 29.1.12 and 29.1.13 say that, except in an emergency, before the City restricts or disconnects it will send a written pre-termination notice giving you 7 days to remedy the problem or make representations. It must consider them (29.1.14).

If you get a notice while a query or dispute is open:

Reply in writing within the 7 days. Give the query reference number and the disputed amount, and show that you have paid as clause 16.3 requires.
Ask the City to suspend collection action. Clause 16.10 says the City Manager may suspend debt collection pending a query or investigation. It is a power, not a right.
If you are cut off anyway, photograph the notice and ask for reconnection in writing. Under clause 30.1, reconnection normally needs full payment or an arrangement. Clause 30.3 lists billing errors and disconnections done in error among the exceptions. That is not a promise of reconnection, so ask in writing.
Get legal advice quickly.

Sources

Want us to check your bill? Overbilled checks your last 3–12 months against the City's published 2026/27 tariffs and its Credit Control Policy, and lists anything it couldn't check. Check my bill