Johannesburg Gets 'smart' With Municipal Services

City Power and the City of Johannesburg are getting smart, with the launch of new online customer service portals.

The new City Power portal is designed to provide quick access to a wide range of services and information, including:

• Up to three years of historical meter data.
• Logged customer queries.
• Notifications and reports on meter alarms.
• Detailed reports on sources feeding customer meters.
• Up-to-date information on power outages linked to an account.
• Access to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) data and insights into consumption patterns.
• Simulate and understand billing details for large power users.
• New customers can track the status of their new service connection (NSC) applications.

Customers can also engage with the portals AI chatbot, Joulene (named after Joule, a unit of energy). Joulene is available 24/7 and can answer general questions about City Power services.

The innovations are part of the citys communications strategy being rolled out in phases. Future developments include a mobile app for real-time updates, issue reporting, and personalised user experiences.

Meanwhile, the City of Johannesburg has introduced a new platform called e-Joburg , which enables customers to make municipal payments online through the portal or WhatsApp channel.

Customers can also access a full history of statements, payments, and interactions through the portal.

The system ensures that electronic municipal payments are correctly allocated and reflected immediately within e-Joburg. Customers have complete control over the amount and date of payments, with the option to schedule payments for a later date and receive confirmation via SMS or email, the city said in a statement.

There will be no more manual entry, intermediaries, or human errors in capturing references. Furthermore, there will be no more service terminations due to late payment notifications or incorrect referencing.

The new digital services are launched ahead of a 12,7% increase in electricity tariffs, which are set to increase from July 1, including an additional R230 for service and network charges.