Where to buy prepaid electricity from Eskom online with your credit card [Solved]

Here’s an updated posting offering alternatives to PayCity that has now stopped selling prepaid electricity.

My previous article “Buying electricity via mobile cell phone or online” listed many ways of purchasing prepaid electricity online and with a credit card. 
Most online sites offer the service for free and you still get your free units per month.
I was looking for a service where I could purchase electricity (for no extra charge) using my credit card.
I wanted to be able to use my PC or my cell phone's browser or use SMS to purchase.

Using my credit card is much more convenient (no more queuing for cash, and for purchasing the electricity), and so it's safer too! [those ATMs are becoming dangerous]

Additionally, if I run out of electricity in the middle of the night then I can purchase more by sending an SMS from home.
Oh, and the cherry on the top is that the bill comes at the end of the month along with "reward points" and even cash back discount.

Here is an updated list of sites that I’ve found that cater for City of Cape Town electricity:
My preferred choice, after analysing all the options that I could find is Powertime.  Their offering seems the most complete, with apps for most mobile devices as well as a nifty web site with add-ons like virtual meter and a graphical analysis of your electricity usage, and lots of energy saving tips.
A couple of emails to their support email address relating to credit card fees were answered quickly and with the requested information (and more).
Powertime’s web site warns that purchasing using your credit card could attract a fee “… between 0% and 5% VAT inclusive of the transaction value”.  An email query later, and I found out that this service fee depends on whether the municipality reimburses credit card costs or not.  It turns out that there is no service fee for Cape Town meters.  To be sure, send them an email with your meter number and they will confirm the service fee.  
Note that the purchase of electricity in Cape Town has to be done via SMS due to restrictions set by the municipality.
You can setup SMS vending on the Powertime website in: “Electricity” –> “Buy Electricity” –> “Set up SMS vending” section.
(EFTs are all free of charge. )

The service is available 24/7 via the following channels:

• Powertime Web site www.powertime.co.za or mobi site m.powertime.co.za,
• iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch Powertime applications which can be downloaded from Apple App store on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/app/powertime/id345272537?mt=8 or search for Powertime),
• Android Powertime app, which can be downloaded from Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.methys.powertime or
  the Samsung Android app store: http://www.samsungapps.com/topApps/topAppsDetail.as?productId=G00002564713
• BlackBerry Powertime  application on the RIM App store: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/11271
• Nokia Powertime application which can be downloaded from the Nokia app store: http://store.ovi.com/content/105666

On these channels, you can use Visa, Diners and Master Card credit cards or the PayGenius wallet, which can be recharged by EFT or credit card. You can also use Debit cards as well on the Powertime Web site.
Twitter: @powertime_za and Facebook
You can also pay your other municipality bills and cellular airtime too.
You can even make some money by referring your friends to Powertime – Login, then follow the “Refer a friend”  link to send your friend an email.  When they spend their first R350 on electricity, then you will get R30 in your PayGenius wallet :)

Here is some more info on Powertime: 
https://moneysmart.co.za/community/2012/06/save-electricity-and-save-money-with-powertime
http://ventureburn.com/2013/03/the-city-of-cape-town-cant-keep-a-good-startup-down-powertime-is-back


Another company that offers purchasing prepaid electricity online and using SMS is ItronEnergy.


FNB mobile: dial *120*321# from your cell phone and navigate thru the menus.

https://new.easypay.co.za/bmeter.aspx

www.ibuy.co.za you can save your setting so that you can easily buy from your phone (no fees, as far as I can see):


Other options:
EFT only - no credit card: PrePaid24.co.za
MyPrePaid.co.za
PrePaidElectricityMeters.co.za
PrePaid24Galore.co.za
PrepaidXtreme.co.za
PrePaid24Online.co.za


http://www.cellpower.co.za/consumer
 
No credit card purchases, but EFTs are processed under 5 minutes (24/7). Also offers airtime.

Calculator: Cost comparison of Incandescent vs CFL vs LED globes

Thanks to Chris from MapaWatt.com and Mitra Ardron for extending the analysis by taking inflation into account – I have modified the calculator for South African (Cape Town) conditions: price of electricity, the price of the globes, and the inflation rate of power costs.


LED (Light Emitting Diode) globe, CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamps), and the bad old fashioned incandescent globe

To quote Mitra:
”
The spreadsheet tracks the cost curves for Incandescent, CFL and LED globes so you can see at what point you would break even. 
“

HTT has changed the figures for South Africans: electricity cost per kWh, and prices for the different types of bulbs
Based on a set of assumptions (that I got from Mapawatt), it shows (at 4 hours/day usage):
* CFL's are better than all of them from year 1, it takes 17 years for LED's to beat CFL's but then need replacing after year 35. 
* LED's beat Incandescent globes after 3-and-a-bit years.


To quote Mitra again:
”
Obviously this depends on assumptions about inflation in electricity prices, so I've added a second tab, where I assume electricity inflates at 7% more than general inflation.
”
HTT has changed the inflation figures for South Africans: electricity is due to go up 25% for the next 3 years (and probably beyond that too).

Don’t give up on the LED globes - in the near future, I’m sure that their prices will drop drastically and will replace CFLs.

Here are the screen shots of the charts showing the results: no inflation, and with inflation (note: horizontal axis have different scales)
 
       

Is it just me, or do you also think that the power guzzling little incandescent globes should be banned!

To see the actual formulae and data download the calculator here:  HTT_Calculator_Lighting_cost_analysis_SouthAfricaAug2011.xls

The electricity rates for Cape Town for 2011 are here:  http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/electricity/tariffs/Pages/default.aspx

If you have a pre-payment meter, then you can save 31.3% on your electricity if you buy now, only 3 days to go!

Eskom electricity tariffs will go up by 31.3% on 01July - that leaves 3 days for you to stock up on cheaper electricity:
I'm going to save that 31.3% by pre-purchasing as much electricity as I can afford before 01July2009.
Once I've purchased all that electricity, I'll want to make it last as loooong as possible - I'll do that by checking where the biggest savings can be made by re-analysing my household's usage and cut down on the most expensive appliances: Saving electricity tips

See here for last year's posting (still relevant) for all the answers and the "Electricity Tariff Calculator tool": Beat Eskom price increases

This year's increase details:
When are the tariffs going up? @ 23h59 on Tues night 30 June 2009.
How much will the increases be? 2009's increase is 31.3%

The posting answers questions like:
How full can your pre-payment meter go?
How much can I purchase on my credit card?
Which tariff plan am I on?
If I fill my meter up too much will I lose my free 50 kWh per month?

And while you're saving money, why not ready the blog "Why pay cash for pre-paid electricity when you can use your credit card?" and earn cash back and "reward points".

How to save electricity:
*) turn down the temperature setting on your thermostat - here's where and how: Where is my geyser's thermostat? How do I turn it down?
*) use less hot water (ie. Install a low‑flow shower head). See here to purchase RST Profilence (RST contact details) and here for a report on savings (water and electricity
*) Shower, don't bath: see here for report on how much less power a shower uses than a bath
*) Install a geyser blanket to insulate your geyser and pipes. See here for a report on savings when using a geyser blanket (30% improvement)
*) use the ‘Electricity Usage Calculator’ to see where you ‘spend’ your electricity.
*) Reduce your pool pump's ON time per day
*) Install ceiling insulation. See here for more info and suppliers
*) Lastly, use solar power to heat your geyser: install solar panels. If you are building a new house or if you replace your geyser, then install solar panels and a time switch. See here for non-savings installing a time switch if you don't have a solar geyser: non-savings report

Update on 16June2010:

Watch out or, at least, be aware: #WTF Geyser's element has just blown <3 years after installation... 5 year geyser warranty, but only 3 months on the element! #FFS #RipOff

http://www.xstream.co.za/warranty.htm

Update on 09Aug2011:
I see the XStream warranty page has moved.... http://www.xstream.co.za/warrenty_document.html (and they can't even spell "warranty"!) 

Cape Town’s new tariffs and charges (rates and taxes and electricity)

{Extracted from CityNews April 2010} The proposed new tariffs and service charges are set out in the draft budget. Water and sanitation charges will increase in line with inflation. However, electricity tariffs have risen sharply due to the Eskom increases, and solid waste removal charges have also risen to pay for new landfill and transfer station infrastructure.

Water and sanitation charges will increase in line with inflation, and property rates increases are in some cases below inflation. However, electricity tariffs have increased sharply due to the City being obliged to pass on the tariff increases granted to Eskom by the National Energy Regulator. Solid waste removal charges have risen to pay for new landfill and waste transfer station infrastructure.

The proposed service charge increases, given in the tables are:
• The property rate has dropped to 0,531 cents in the rand
• An average increase of 10% for water and sanitation
• An increase of 18% for solid waste removal
• An increase of 38,5% for solid waste disposal
• An average increase of 24,6% for electricity, based on Eskom’s increase of 28,9% for this year
• The first R200 000 of your property’s value is rates-free.




Water and sanitation tariffs 
Please note that the City has increased the number of billing categories, or ‘steps’, for water and sanitation.
These new steps are better suited to the volumes people actually use.
The first ‘Step 1’ – the free basic allocation – remains unchanged, but bigger volumes have been allocated into smaller blocks. The tariffs proposed in the budget relate to the new steps shown alongside.

Solid waste tariffs
There is a new charge, for ‘clean’ builder’s rubble.














Electricity tariffs 

These remain in three broad categories:
‘Lifeline’ – which caters for poorer people and has no service charge,
‘Domestic Low’ – with no service charge, and
‘Domestic High’ – which does have a service charge.

Examples of actual costs in each of the categories are given in the tables alongside.

How the electricity tariffs work
The tables below show what customers can expect to pay for electricity at the proposed new tariffs, and the examples explain what portion of purchases is made up of the free allocation, at the subsidised rate and at the normal rate.

Examples at the LIFELINE energy rate
• Person A buys R240 (including VAT) worth of electricity once per month.  For each purchase, he will receive 366,3 kWh, made up of 50 kWh free, 100 kWh at the subsidised rate, and 216,3 kWh at the normal rate.
• Person B buys R60 (including VAT) once a week. For the first purchase in the month he will receive 50 kWh free, and 90,6 kWh at the subsidised rate – a total of 140,6 kWh. On his second purchase he will receive 9,4 kWh at the subsidised rate and 66.9 kWh at the normal rate – a total of 76,3 kWh.  For the third and fourth purchase of the month he will receive 74,7 kWh – all at the normal rate. If one adds all four purchases together, he also receives 366,3 kWh in the month, the same as Person A.
• Person C normally buys R200 (including VAT) once a month.  For this he will receive 316,5 kWh made up of 50 kWh free, 100 kWh at the subsidised rate, and 166,5 kWh at the normal rate. However, in this particular month, Person C requires a small top-up amount and buys R40 worth of electricity.  Person C will receive 60,4 kWh for this purchase – charged at the normal rate – bringing the total energy purchased in the month to R240 – 366,3 kWh in total.

Examples at the DOMESTIC LOW energy rate
This tariff is relatively simple. Whatever energy is purchased, the tariff remains the same and the value is a simple multiplication of tariff x units (kWh) purchased.

Examples at the DOMESTIC HIGH energy rate
• Person D buys 500 kWh of electricity four times a month. His normal account will contain two components: an energy charge to the amount of R455,85 and a service charge of around R52,50 for the week (seven days are used here – actual value will depend on the exact length of time between purchases).  Both of the purchases in the month (if equally spaced) will be identical.
• Person E buys 2 000 kWh of electricity on the first of the month, resulting in an energy charge of R1 823,40, and a service charge of either R225 (for a 30-day month) or R232,50 (for a 31-day month).
• Person F buys electricity once a year. He uses 24 000 kWh in the year, and will therefore pay R21 880,80 for energy for the year. He will also pay the service charge for 365 days, which will total R2 737,50 for the year.
Please note that the service fee is a daily fee and works out to be the same amount over a year, whether you buy once a week, once a month, or once a year.
 


• For more information, contact the City’s call centre on 0860 103 089.

HTT comments:
Prices will increase on 01Jul 2010.  Pre-Paid customers: see this article to see if it’s worth while to do a bulk buy purchase ahead of the increase: If you have a pre-payment meter: FAQs answered by Eskom on radio 567CapeTalk and Saving 24.8% by loading your pre-payment electricity meter
Did you notice the 93.5% in the daily service fee for Domestic High users?  From R3.88 to R7.50 per day! That’s from R116 per month to R225, or from R1,416 per annum to R2,736 (gulp).
BTW: you are a ‘Domestic High’ user if you use more than 800 kWh per month (average).  See here for more info: Cape Town Electricity Tariffs

If you have a pre-payment meter, then you can save 24.8% on your electricity if you buy now, only 6 days to go!

Eskom electricity tariffs will go up by 24.8% on 01 April 2010 - that leaves 6 days for you to stock up on cheaper electricity:
I'm going to save that 24.8% by pre-purchasing as much electricity as I can afford before 01 April 2010 – just like I did last year (and the year before).
Once I've purchased all that electricity, I'll want to make it last as loooong as possible - I'll do that by checking where the biggest savings can be made by re-analysing my household's usage and cut down on the most expensive appliances: Saving electricity tips

See here for this posting (still relevant) for all the answers and the "Electricity Tariff Calculator tool": Beat Eskom price increases

This year's increase details:
When are the tariffs going up? @ 23h59 on Wed night 31 March 2010.
How much will the increases be? 2010's increase is, on average 24.8% (see here for NERSA’s media release)

The posting answers questions like:
How full can your pre-payment meter go?
How much can I purchase on my credit card?
Which tariff plan am I on?
If I fill my meter up too much will I lose my free 50 kWh per month?

And while you're saving money, why not ready the blog "Why pay cash for pre-paid electricity when you can use your credit card?" and earn cash back and "reward points".


 

How to save electricity:
*) turn down the temperature setting on your thermostat - here's where and how: Where is my geyser's thermostat? How do I turn it down?
*) use less hot water (ie. Install a low‑flow shower head). See here to purchase RST Profilence (RST contact details) and here for a report on savings (water and electricity
*) Shower, don't bath: see here for report on how much less power a shower uses than a bath
*) Install a geyser blanket to insulate your geyser and pipes. See here for a report on savings when using a geyser blanket (30% improvement)
*) use the ‘Electricity Usage Calculator’ to see where you ‘spend’ your electricity.
*) Reduce your pool pump's ON time per day
*) Install ceiling insulation. See here for more info and suppliers
*) Lastly, use solar power to heat your geyser: install solar panels. If you are building a new house or if you replace your geyser, then install solar panels and a time switch. See here for non-savings installing a time switch if you don't have a solar geyser: non-savings report

Oh, and while we’re talking about rate increases – don’t forget that Metrorail plans to increase train fares on April 1.  The fare increase, the first since 2003, will see customers paying between R40 and almost R100 more than the current prices for a Metroplus monthly ticket.

Only 12 hours to go to pre-purchase that electricity before the 31.3% increase at midnight (later tonight)

There's only 12 hours to go before you'll be paying 31.3% more for your electricity. Here's some additional info if you benefit from getting free units per month for low usage clients:
As heard on Cape Talk this morning (Aden Thomas's show):
For low usage clients: If you load up your meter now, then you can still get your free units per month if you still purchase some units per month - so go to www.energy.co.za (or go to your local electricity vendor) and buy just R5.00 to get your free units - and do that once per month.
Note: HTT has not verified this practise.
Note: www.energy.co.za allows up to R2,000 per transaction, but multiple transactions are allowed (up to your credit card's limit of course)

{Low usage clients means: if you are on ‘Domestic 2‘ (i.e. low consumption: less than 600 kWh per month), then you qualify for 50 free units per month.}

Remember, if you've already got your free units this month, then your purchases will seem "more expensive" (ie: you won't get as many units as when you had purchased your electricity earlier this month).

See here for more detailed info:
Load your meter now, plus energy saving tips

Eskom has just announced the electricity price increase for this year: 27.3%

The 27.3% is made up of 14% from December and 13.3% from today's additional award. I'm going to save that 27.3% by pre-purchasing as much electricity as I can.

Referring to my earlier blog "Does it pay to topup your pre-payment meter?", I will purchase a few months worth of electricity before 01July2008.

And while you're saving money, why not ready the blog "Why pay cash for pre-paid electricity when you can use your credit card?" and earn cash back and "reward points".