Anyone know if it is still possible to get a postpaid meter for a new install in residential homes? This is in Stellenbosch but we’re not served by the municipality but by Eskom itself. Most of the homes around me are on 60A/prepaid.
I can’t answer your question, but I have seen it stated that all new residential customers get prepaid meters.
I believe they can be a real PITA with nuisance tripping even when you don’t intend to export power. They are apparently very sensitive, I expect you know this hence your query.
I suppose you could ask ESKOM and indicate your preference, but that is unlikely to bear fruit.
Alternatively, you might indicate to ESKOM that you need a type of connection that a prepaid meter won’t cater for. (Three-phase or a higher capacity single phase).
Preferably a larger 1 ph instead of 3 ph.
You may have to justify this need to ESKOM…
You do pottery as a hobby and intend to get a 15kW electric kiln next month etc.
It may attract a higher monthly fixed cost, but it warrants consideration.
It is also better to apply at the initial connection, rather than try and get an existing meter changed.
PS. I have no idea, what type of connections are not covered by pre-paid meters.
PPS. The larger capacity your connection, the larger the inverter you are permitted, so there is an upside to having a larger connection. I have heard of others who have tried to get a larger connection so they could increase their solar capacity and been denied on that basis.
I there now way you can apply for prepaid but request a specific meter. Advice on meter type, etc should be available on the forum. The fixed charges of any Eskom postpaid is really going to be a huge cost. Especially 3 phase!
I’m on a farm but 200m from the main line and my costs are below (ex VAT)… (Yes @TheTerribleTriplet - time for Off-grid 
!):
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I agree 3 phase is not a suitable solution, especially for solar.
I have been looking on the web a bit, it may be that an 80A connection is conventionally metered. But, yeah those fixed charges are 2/3rds of the bill in your case.
Ok, alternatively, are there any connected meters that lets you view the number of units and load units remotely?
Yes, there are meters, (that you have to install yourself) that have remote monitoring capability.
But perhaps it’s better to describe what you want to achieve.
There are fancy things but $$$, the cheapest solution is hook up a cheap din rail pulse meter to your venus and view it through VRM.
(Just imagine it’s kWh’s instead of litres or whatever mad units they use).
Plonkster explained to me that it used to have a kWh units capability, but it was felt it would confuse people, so it was removed - true story.
We were on a conventional meter prior to installing a grid-tied solar PV system. I didn’t like the idea of a prepaid meter at all, given the reports of nuisance tripping, but CoCT didn’t give me a choice. They assured me they would be installing a unit that is geared towards SSEG installations and as such would not trip on feed-in. I didn’t let the installer leave until I had confirmed this by feeding back 4kW for a couple of minutes. It indeed does not trip, but it charges me in both directions.
The unit that was installed is an Enlight Sienna, a locally produced product. Perhaps Eskom installs the same unit, or you can request it.
Now that I’m on prepaid I definitely will not want to go back to postpaid: No bill shocks at the end of the month, and I do not have to worry about meter reading mistakes (got a R50k water bill once that was a pain to sort out).
TL;DR: If you get the right prepaid meter you shouldn’t have any issues with your SSEG installation.
Say it’s for a remote property like a holiday house that has some systems that have to keep running while you’re not there. Are there no meters that you can view and load remotely? Or if you want to load for someone who can’t operate the meter? Maybe you have a property with some units you’re renting out each with a submeter, but someone still needs to make sure the main meter to the grid is loaded.
In that case postpaid would be easier, but remote loading is still better than having to go there to manually punch in numbers.
So do you want to view kilowatts or kilowatt hours?
If its just kW, then:
You standard VRM will tell you your loads. There are whole host of Tuya or equivalent wireless enable plugs that will even tell you loads on a per appliance basis.
If its kW/h then VRM can take 4 pulse meter inputs, that could be submeters, all viewable remotely.
A multi can be set to a minimum power import if you like.
All these things are viewable and adjustable remotely.
I can do this stuff in SA from Ireland.
There are a multitude of options depending what you want.
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KWh, but it needs to be a meter that can load prepaid that replaces the Eskom prepaid meter. Just knowing how much was consumed doesn’t make my life that much easier, except to know when to go or send someone to go load prepaid.
Oh, OK.
I am actually on a prepaid meter in Ireland in a place I rent. I get a daily email telling me my usage, and a text message if my credit is getting low. Which I then top up online.
Things I take for granted I suppose.
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