Establish the tenant circuit
Identify the tenant or common load, relevant board and protection, lease or management authority, and where responsibility passes between landlord and tenant.
Landlord, tenant and common reticulation
Private prepaid submeter installation for shopping centres
Assessment and installation support for authorised private shopping-centre submeters, subject to supply boundary, ownership, circuits, platform, access and confirmed scope.
A shopping-centre private submeter sits within a chain of responsibilities. Before installation, the utility revenue-meter boundary, landlord or common infrastructure, tenant circuit, platform administrator and authorised access route must be made explicit.
Managed responsibility
Define ownership, the circuit and administration before installation.
Confirm platform responsibility
Record the meter and interface selected, vending or management provider, customer-support route, communications and who administers commercial data after handover.
Coordinate controlled access
Plan facilities and security contacts, public or trading-area restrictions, isolation windows, tenant notices, testing and factual handover.
Electrical scope only
Install inside the boundary the property may authorise.
- Site, supply-boundary and circuit assessment
- Distribution-board interface and protection
- Private submeter position, mounting and enclosure
- Compatible customer interface where verified
- Safe isolation, installation and identification
- Testing, labels and factual handover
- Documentation and COC implications for agreed work
If the work affects the utility revenue meter, seals, service cable, point of supply, account configuration or network equipment, it stops and routes to the owner's authorised process.
Commercial boundary
Electrical installation does not approve the billing arrangement.
Compatibility
Product, platform, token, interface and communication compatibility require current provider verification.
Product, platform, token, interface and communication compatibility require current provider verification.
Authority
Installation does not grant resale permission or approve tariffs, allocation or recovery terms.
Installation does not grant resale permission or approve tariffs, allocation or recovery terms.
Operation
No guarantee is made for token supply, vending, billing accuracy, debt recovery or dispute prevention.
No guarantee is made for token supply, vending, billing accuracy, debt recovery or dispute prevention.
No live work, meter bypass, illegal connection, seal breaking, token manipulation, tamper defeat or DIY installation guidance is provided.
Prepare the assessment
Details needed before scope is confirmed
- Exact centre address and utility or distributor
- Incoming revenue-meter owner and private supply boundary
- Authorised landlord, facilities or tenant instruction
- Tenant, common or landlord circuit to be submetered
- Existing boards, protection and verified supply or phase
- Meter make, model, enclosure and environment
- Vending, management or billing platform provider
- Token, customer-interface and communication requirements
- Facilities, security, public access and shutdown window
- Data/privacy and future maintenance responsibility
- Previous records and safe closed-equipment photos
Questions before approval
Managed private-submeter FAQs
What separates a private submeter from a utility revenue meter?
A private submeter measures a downstream circuit on privately controlled reticulation behind the property's existing utility or municipal revenue meter. The revenue meter, seals, service cable, point of supply, account and network equipment remain with their owner and authorised process.
Who may authorise private submeter work?
The instructing party must have authority over the affected private installation and circuit. Landlord, tenant, HOA, body-corporate, managing-agent and owner responsibilities should be confirmed for the actual property.
How should common and private responsibility be recorded?
Identify the supply boundary, every relevant board, the circuit or load to be metered, and the party responsible for each section. A management role does not automatically create authority over a tenant or dwelling installation.
Will a selected meter work with any token or vending platform?
Compatibility cannot be assumed. Verify the meter model, platform provider, token or customer interface, communications, enclosure, environment and electrical arrangement against current provider and product information.
Does electrical installation grant resale or billing permission?
No. Installation does not itself approve resale, tariffs, allocation or recovery terms, or make private billing automatically lawful or compliant. Those matters require the current property authority, agreements, provider terms and applicable rules.
How are access, isolation and shutdowns coordinated?
Confirm security and facilities contacts, controlled areas, notices, access permissions, the authorised isolation window and affected occupants or operations before work and testing are scheduled.
Could the distribution board require changes?
Possibly. Board condition, protection, identification, available space, supply and the intended circuit are assessed. Any board work must be defined and approved as part of the electrical scope.
What testing or COC documents apply?
Testing, handover records and COC implications depend on the fixed electrical work actually completed and its legal scope. They cannot be determined from the requested meter alone.
What if the utility meter is faulty, sealed or appears tampered with?
Stop and report it through the owning utility or municipality's authorised process. Do not open, relocate, replace, bypass, reset or break a seal on provider-owned equipment.
Preserved supporting owners
Use the owner that matches the task.
Primary-source boundaries
Eskom prepayment FAQs support the private-reticulation distinction. The South African Distribution Metering Code addresses ownership of provider metering and access restrictions. Fixed electrical work remains subject to the Electrical Installation Regulations. Product and commercial terms require current provider and property-authority verification.
Authority and boundary first
Request a private shopping-centre submeter assessment
Send the supply-boundary, circuit and platform details so electrical scope, access, compatibility checks and handover responsibility can be defined without implying utility authority or billing approval.
Send the supply-boundary, circuit and platform details