Residents of Balwin-owned Greenbay Estate in Gordon’s Bay have expressed growing frustration over consistently high electricity bills, despite taking measures to reduce consumption. The situation has escalated as residents have struggled to find a resolution with the managing agents, estate owners, and the electricity provider.
The residents primarily purchase electricity through the Netvendor app. However, many have reported that their accounts show electricity usage even when they are away from home. This has led to suspicions of faulty meters or other irregularities, causing residents to question the accuracy of their bills.
“We are so careful with every switch and every plug, and yet our usage keeps ticking upwards. It’s unreasonable that residents are paying a minimum of R3 500 a month for electricity,” said a resident of Greenbay who asked not to be named.
Another resident said that residents are pursuing a legal route and exploring the option of hiring a private investigator to conduct their own audit of the accounts. “We have no other option. It just feels as if we are being taken for a ride,” he said.
Despite numerous attempts to address the issue with the managing agents, Landsdowne, the estate owners Balwin Properties, and Netvendor, the residents claim that they have received little to no satisfactory answers. Only a small percentage of residents have attended meetings, making it difficult to find a collective solution.
Residents have expressed their disappointment with the lack of progress and accountability. They fear that the high electricity costs are placing an undue financial burden on them and that the situation is only worsening over time.
In response to a request for comment, Balwin Properties, Landsdowne Property Group and NetVendor have issued a joint statement.
The companies acknowledged that some residents have raised concerns about their electricity bills, and related that Landsdowne conducted a thorough investigation into the matter, auditing over 60 accounts, but no evidence of incorrect billing was found. The statement clarified that the bills include charges for utilities such as water and sanitation, in addition to electricity.
The companies highlighted the use of high-quality meters and the adherence to municipal tariffs. They also emphasized that Netvendor charges a flat rate for its services and has no ownership interest in Balwin Properties.
To address concerns about meter readings and real-time consumption data, the statement explained that meter readings are done daily and the MobiApp does not provide real-time readings, and that residents benefit from a 10% discount on electricity consumption due to solar solutions installed by Balwin.
The statement also addressed the issue of increasing municipal tariffs.
The companies assured residents that they have provided detailed information about billing and have established various communication channels for raising concerns.
While acknowledging that some residents may still have questions, the companies expressed their commitment to transparency and providing quality service.
They encouraged residents to reach out to the appropriate channels for further assistance.
