Land Lord | New PSC System | Previous System | Eskom Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

As a Land Lord

How much do you charge for a meter?

There are a number of different meters available depending on what you might need. Our supplier as well as contractors will gladly assist you to a quotation for meters as well as installation cost.

How much do you charge for a token or for your service?

We have got a number of solutions for you depending on what will work best for you. Please contact our marketing team for these requests. You can do so by phoning us on 0828528530 or e-mail us at niekie@pscafrica.co.za.

I've got a granny flat, can you help me?

Yes we can help you. We will install a meter in your granny flat. Your tenant will register on our system to purchase electricity

I've got a house with a municipal electricity account.

You will have to purchase a meter from the municipality; we might be able to help you with our cell phone or internet system. Depending on which municipality you are at. You can contact us on our contact us page to support you with this.

I've got a unit in a complex and i want to install a pre-paid meter for my tennants or myself.

We can help you. Our system is specifically designed to accommodate you. We will make an arrangement with the body corporate to accommodate your pre-paid meter on your behalf. You will have to contact us regarding this to clear the necessary details.

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New PSC System

My meter shows an error 30?

1. Move device to another plug.
2. Make sure all circuit breakers are off EXCEPT the plug where device is plugged in and the main circuit breaker is on.
3. Plug unit into neighbour's plug. Don't let power run out as a rule, buy enough electricity.

I sent an SMS, but did not receive my token?

It may be that the server did not receive your SMS or that the SMS did not reach your cell phone that was sent from the server. Try sending another SMS. If you receive a reply that we are waiting for bank clearance you know that the token was generated by the system but not delivered to you. This would be due to a GSM network fault. Send a SMS...pin no*last. This will re-issue your last token. Otherwise contact the help desk to assist help you. 0828528530

I lost or deleted my token?

Send an SMS...[pin no*last]. You will receive your last token again.

How much can I purchase at a time?

The purchasing amount limit per transaction is R500 incl. VAT irrespective of the credit available in the meter account.

How do I access reports on the system?

Managing entities will be able to log in via the internet and access reports based on rights assigned by us. Individuals will not be able to view reports due to privacy legislation. Please see our website for the instructions on how to access reports.

Web address for assistance: http://www.pscafrica.co.za
Business hours call centre number: (waiting for Telkom)

How do I buy credit for my meter?

You will have to transfer money from your bank account to our FNB account. You can do this using internet banking. Once the transferred money reflects in our bank account you will be notified at which point you can log onto our WAP portal using your cell phone to request a electricity token. Please note that there is a transition period during which time a deposit will only reflect in our account after 3 days. Please ensure you top up regularly to avoid being without electricity.

Do you accepts cash deposits instead of EFT's ?

Yes, but any cash handling fees charged by our bank will be for your account. You meter account will be debited accordingly. We strongly recommend you use EFT or ATM banking to transfer money.

Can I get my money back out of my meter account?

No. It's your responsibility to manage the balance based on your personal preferences. If you know you will be moving out soon, do not deposit to much money into the meter account.

Electricity loading instructions?

Our system will present you with a 20 digit number. This number is typed into the electricity meter in sequence. On entering the last number the meter will either accept or reject the number.

Click on images to enlarge

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Previous PSC System

My meter shows an error 30?

1. Move device to another plug.
2. Make sure all circuit breakers are off EXCEPT the plug where device is plugged in and the main circuit breaker is on.
3. Plug unit into neighbour's plug. Don't let power run out as a rule,buy enough electricity.

I sent an SMS, but did not receive my token?

It may be that the server did not receive your SMS or that the sms did not reach your cell phone that was sent from the server. The easies would be to send another token. If you receive a reply that you are awaiting a bank clearance you know that the token was generated, but you did not receive it. This would be a network error. Send an SMS...pin no*last. This will generate your last token. Otherwise contact the help desk to help you. 0861116199.

I lost or deleted my token?

Send an sms...[pin no*last]. You will receive your last token.

Can I purchase electricity from the stores?

Yes you can also purchase electricity from any easy pay vending point. Keep in mind that the retailer will charge you a 3.5% levy.

How does your administration charges work?

Option 1:

1. Fixed cost per month per meter to cover service provision and communication and banking costs.
2. Tenants register on the vending system and transact using their cell phone only.
3. Tenant will do an EFT into a prepaid account and can then request electricity up to the amount in their prepaid electricity account on our system.
4. We can also do a direct debit of the tenants bank account if they sign a bank debit order. It's an electronic debit transaction. The debit will be done for a fixed amount as apposed to them having to do a EFT.
5. Tenants can buy from PicknPay etc. (Easypay outlets).
6. Tenant cannot buy directly from the municipality since the systems are independent of each other.
7. Reports are made available to the management agent/landlord/body corporate on a monthly basis.
8. Money collected (less service provider cost) by the service provider is paid over to the nominated party; i.e. landlord, management agent before the municipal account is due.
9. We do not take over ANY accounts since the property owner has the contract with council for service provision.
10. The tariff at which electricity is charge for is at the same rate as council UNLESS you instruct us to use a different value.
11. This option requires the tenant to have a bank account if the debit order option is chosen.

Option 2:

1. Commission is paid to the service provider for each transaction. No fixed service provider fee. Tenants register on the vending system and transact using their cell phone only.
2. Tenant will do an EFT into a prepaid account and can then request electricity up to the amount in their prepaid electricity account on our system. The commission will be deducted from the transaction value.
3. We can also do a direct debit of the tenants bank account if they sign a bank debit order. It's an electronic debit transaction. The debit will be done for a fixed amount as apposed to them having to do a EFT.
4. Tenants can buy from PicknPay etc. (Easypay outlets).
5. Tenant CANNOT buy directly from the municipality since the systems are independent of each other.
6. Reports are made available to the management agent/landlord/body corporate on a monthly basis.
7. Money collected (less service provider cost) by the service provider is paid over to the nominated party; i.e. landlord, management agent before the municipal account is due.
8. We do not take over ANY accounts since the property owner has the contract with council for service provision.
9. The tariff at which electricity is charge for is at the same rate as council UNLESS you instruct us to use a different value.
10. This option requires the tenant to have a bank account if the debit order option is chosen.

How much can I purchase at a time?

Remember we need to limit your transaction to protect you as our customer. The amount will depend on what the limit is set to.

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Eskom Questions

General Prepaid Questions

How do I get prepayment electricity?
I want my own prepayment meter(s).
Will I save money with prepayment electricity?
Where do I get my electricity from?
My meter does not work. Now what?
Tell me more about electricity.

Vending Related Questions

I want to sell electricity for Eskom (all types of vending agents).
I want to sell online vending systems to Eskom
What is XMLVend?
Why use XMLVend?
I have a totally new way to sell electricity

Meter Manufacturer Questions

How do qualify to sell prepaid meters to Eskom?
How many prepaid meters are installed?
What is the installed unit cost?
Does your service area experience extreme heat?
How is reliability? (out of box failure rate, annual field failure, etc?)
Why were prepayment meters installed?
How was the prepayment decision made?
What was/is the customer reaction?
How large is your service area?
Does prepayment solve electricity theft problems?
If you had to do it all over again, would you still decide to go prepayment metering?

Meter Manufacturer Questions

What do all the words and acronyms mean?
Why don't you use tamper detection in meters?
Why do you only use disposable tokens?
Why did you standardise on a proprietary meter arrangement/enclosure?

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