A Cambridge West man who underwent an 11-hour heart operation a week ago was faced with a shocking R44000 municipal water bill when he arrived home from hospital last weekend.
Terence Lottering, 59, who underwent the surgery at Panorama Mediclinic in Cape Town last Wednesday, said he thought he was going to have a heart attack when he saw the mammoth invoice.
“I asked my wife if I was reading the amount correctly and got an instant pain in my chest when she said it was,” said Lottering, who has spent the last three days standing in queues at Buffalo City Metro (BCM) offices trying to get to the bottom of the baffling bill.
Fighting back tears, Lottering showed the Daily Dispatch his March utility bill account which displayed a R44679.20 water charge.
The bill also reflects that his water meter was not read for almost one and a half years between October 2013 and February last year.
Lottering has, however, been paying a sum of around R226 for water monthly.
“I always pay my bill before the fifteenth of every month. I don’t understand why they have not read my meter for almost a year and a half.
“They employ people to do that and I see them walking in the street. My house is not invisible. This makes my water more expensive than petrol.”
Although he has strict doctor’s orders to rest in bed with his feet up following his surgery, Lottering spent the last three days standing in queues and being directed from one official to another at BCM offices in Beacon Bay and the city centre.
He was granted some respite after calling BCM’s helpdesk, however.
An adjusted bill was faxed to him, showing a decrease of R21452, but he still cannot afford to foot the remainder.
“I paid R1400, but where will I get the rest? My wife Colleen has a small carpet cleaning business and I am unemployed. This is so stressful and I am physically drained,” said Lottering, who is convinced he does not have a leak on his property.
During another visit to BCM yesterday morning, Lottering was told he should either pay the outstanding sum or wait for his bill to go into arrears for the problem to be resolved.
BCM spokesman Thandy Matebese apologised for the service Lottering had received, saying he should not have been sent from pillar to post.
He said the municipality’s communication department would forward Lottering’s case to the billing department for attention.
“Our residents come first and we pride ourselves on being people centered so that kind of service is regrettable.”
He said residents should write to billingq@buffalocity.gov.za with billing queries. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
R44k water bill shock for ill man
Terence Lottering, 59, who underwent the surgery at Panorama Mediclinic in Cape Town last Wednesday, said he thought he was going to have a heart attack when he saw the mammoth invoice.
“I asked my wife if I was reading the amount correctly and got an instant pain in my chest when she said it was,” said Lottering, who has spent the last three days standing in queues at Buffalo City Metro (BCM) offices trying to get to the bottom of the baffling bill.
Fighting back tears, Lottering showed the Daily Dispatch his March utility bill account which displayed a R44679.20 water charge.
The bill also reflects that his water meter was not read for almost one and a half years between October 2013 and February last year.
Lottering has, however, been paying a sum of around R226 for water monthly.
“I always pay my bill before the fifteenth of every month. I don’t understand why they have not read my meter for almost a year and a half.
“They employ people to do that and I see them walking in the street. My house is not invisible. This makes my water more expensive than petrol.”
Although he has strict doctor’s orders to rest in bed with his feet up following his surgery, Lottering spent the last three days standing in queues and being directed from one official to another at BCM offices in Beacon Bay and the city centre.
He was granted some respite after calling BCM’s helpdesk, however.
An adjusted bill was faxed to him, showing a decrease of R21452, but he still cannot afford to foot the remainder.
“I paid R1400, but where will I get the rest? My wife Colleen has a small carpet cleaning business and I am unemployed. This is so stressful and I am physically drained,” said Lottering, who is convinced he does not have a leak on his property.
During another visit to BCM yesterday morning, Lottering was told he should either pay the outstanding sum or wait for his bill to go into arrears for the problem to be resolved.
BCM spokesman Thandy Matebese apologised for the service Lottering had received, saying he should not have been sent from pillar to post.
He said the municipality’s communication department would forward Lottering’s case to the billing department for attention.
“Our residents come first and we pride ourselves on being people centered so that kind of service is regrettable.”
He said residents should write to billingq@buffalocity.gov.za with billing queries. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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