Frequently asked questions related to smart prepaid meters and
U-Vend’s services & products.
Yes. While the cost of your utilities remains the same, most clients who have made the switch to a prepaid meter have noticed a marked reduction in consumption. Landlords or property owners also minimize their shortfall as tenants pay to use utilities, rather than paying when invoiced at the end of the month.
From the initial point of contact, it can take as short as ten working days to order materials and arrange a callout.
You can purchase a prepaid meter online and schedule your delivery via email, but installation must be carried out by a certified professional hired by the property owner or authorized party.
Once you have browsed through our selection of products kindly send us an email at sales@uvend.co.za and we will assist in the purchasing process.
- Property owners no longer have to wait on payments from occupants each month; tenants are responsible for their own consumption and U-Vend reimburses landlords at the end of each month.
- Leaks are reported more timeously as tenants are financially liable for lost resources.
- Occupants consume less water and electricity when they are aware of their usage on a daily basis. This results in fewer or lower high-usage penalties for Body Corporates.
Smart prepaid meters are beneficial for everyone involved, including landlords, property managers and tenants.
Landlords mitigate their financial risk of tenant non-payment as U-Vend reimburses them directly.
Property managers and Body Corporates benefit by receiving utility payments on time each month, as well as having technical support from U-Vend should there be a leak or fault.
Tenants will enjoy more control over their utility fees and no more estimated values due to the municipality not being able to read your meter.
An electricity smart meter measures the flow of current to the property at regular intervals, allowing the device to record how much electricity is being used.
For a property with multiple units, a smart meter is installed for each dwelling to ensure that each tenant’s usage is calculated individually.
Rather than using electricity and then being invoiced, tenants purchase units and that is their only allocation of power unless the meter is topped up.
Once a meter is purchased, landlords own that meter outright.
The only fee incurred is for utility management services.
The cost of electricity and water will remain unchanged, but tenants are able to manage their consumption more mindfully. If a tenant would prefer to purchase their utilities at the start of the month for budget purposes, they are able to do so.
There are also no estimated values from the municipality, so neither landlords or tenants pay more than they should.
Smart meters can’t be turned off, but consumers are not charged for the power needed to keep the meter working.
Smart meters have a lifespan of between 6 to 8 years. U-Vend’s smart meters also have a warranty period of 1 year.
Property owners can log in on the U-Vend site to view their usage statement.
For users who have purchased the Laison Bluetooth water meter, there is an app to load tokens and view meter activity available for Android mobile devices here.
Generally not. On new water meters, batteries may need changing, but there is no need for ongoing upkeep.