Overbilled

Estimated readings on your Joburg bill: what the rule says and what to do

An estimated reading is a figure the City uses when it could not read your meter. It is not a measurement. The City's credit control policy says how it must be worked out, and says it must be corrected once an actual reading is obtained. This guide explains the rule, how to tell whether your estimate is too high, and what to do about it.

General information, not legal advice.

What an estimate is

Your meter shows what you used. If a reading can't be obtained (for example, a meter reader can't get to the meter, or a smart meter doesn't transmit), the City bills an estimate instead. Your bill may mark readings as actual or estimated (often shown as A or E); if it doesn't make this clear, ask the City. See how to read your Joburg bill.

The rule: the 12-month average

Clause 9.3 of the City's Credit Control and Debt Collection Policy says:

"Where, for any reason whatsoever readings cannot be obtained, interim readings (estimates) shall be utilised. Interim readings will be based on the average monthly consumption of services registered over the 12 preceding months. As soon as an actual reading is obtained, the account will be adjusted accordingly."

Three points in plain words:

Clause 10.9 adds that the customer must pay, and remains liable for, estimates charged to the account, including estimates caused by delays in changing meters or getting readings. So an estimate is a charge you owe until it is corrected. It is not a reason to stop paying.

How to tell if your estimate is too high

You can test it with a few figures from your own bills.

  1. Find your actual readings from the last 12 months, from old bills or the City's online account. Use periods between two actual readings. The policy speaks of consumption "registered" over the 12 months, so ask the City what it averaged.
  2. Work out your average month. Take the total used over the 12 months and divide by 12. For water, that is kilolitres (kl). For electricity, it is kWh.
  3. Compare it with the estimate. The estimated quantity on your bill should be close to that average.

Worked example (water): you used 168 kl over the last 12 months of actual readings. The average is 168 ÷ 12 = 14 kl a month. If your bill estimates 22 kl, the estimate is well above the rule's average, and you have a reason to query it. If it says 14 kl, the estimate follows the rule, even if your real use was lower this month.

Other signs to look for:

An important limit: the rule uses an average, so a fair estimate can still be higher than your real use in a quiet month. The correction comes when an actual reading is billed.

If estimates went on for a long time and can't be reconciled with your meter, one more route exists. Clause 17.1 gives the City "the discretion to write off debt if it is deemed irrecoverable", and clause 17.1.17 lists, as one ground, "numerous interim (estimated) readings for metered services that are irreconcilable and there is reason to believe that such estimates exceed actual consumption". Write-offs go to the City's Debt Write-off Committee or a designated official. It is a possible route, not a right: ask the City about it in writing.

What to do

  1. Read your meter. Take a clear photo showing the meter number, the reading and the date. Do this on the same day each month.
  2. Send your reading. For electricity, City Power's 15 July 2025 statement says "Those with manual meters are encouraged to self-read", with a photo showing the meter number, the reading and the date, sent during their area's reading window by email to billing@citypower.co.za or through the e-Joburg portal. Readings sent outside the window "will not be used for billing". See estimated electricity readings. For water, see read your own meter for the City's routes and deadlines; the City's pages disagree, so confirm by phone.
  3. Query the estimate. Phone the Call Centre (0860 562 874) or visit a Customer Service Centre and get a reference number (policy clause 16.1). Say which service the query is about, and why you think the estimate is above the 12-month average.
  4. Ask for a correction to your actual reading. If your photo reading is lower than the estimate, ask for the account to be adjusted to it.
  5. Keep paying. Clause 10.9 says "the customer must pay and remains liable for the payment of estimates charged to the account." While a query is open, clause 16.3 says it "must be accompanied by payment of, at least, the total amount outstanding on the account", and that where only part of the account is disputed, payment "shall be based on average monthly previous charges before the query/dispute arises". The two sentences don't fit together, so ask the City in writing what amount it expects. See how to dispute a Joburg bill for the steps and time limits.
  6. Write a letter if it is not fixed. See how to dispute a Joburg bill for the written-dispute step.

Section 95 of the Municipal Systems Act says a municipality must, within its financial and administrative capacity, "take reasonable steps to ensure that the consumption by individual users of services is measured through accurate and verifiable metering systems", and provide accessible ways to query or verify accounts and metered consumption (section 95). A string of estimates is a fair thing to raise under that duty.

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