On oxygen at home? City Power says you get no outage priority

City Power will not put Johannesburg homes with oxygen machines or other powered medical equipment first in line when the electricity goes off. The utility told Daily Maverick and Our City News it keeps no record of customers' medical conditions and gives no preferential help to medically vulnerable households.

What did City Power say?

Spokesperson Isaac Mangena said City Power "is not mandated to maintain records of individual customers' or households' medical conditions", and that these households must use the normal fault-reporting channels (Daily Maverick).

The utility also said:

• it "does not provide specialised or preferential assistance" to individual medically vulnerable residents or households
• generators cannot be sent to individual homes
• identified medical facilities may get alternative supply "where operationally feasible" and if resources allow

Source: Daily Maverick.

What about water cuts?

Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said its job is to supply water and sanitation and to send alternative supply, such as tankers, during qualifying interruptions. She said identifying and coordinating medical or social support for vulnerable residents falls to municipal and provincial health or social-service structures (Daily Maverick).

Who is most at risk?

People who rely on oxygen concentrators, nebulisers, CPAP machines, home suctioning or refrigerated medication. A registered nurse quoted in the report said CPAP machines have batteries but only last a certain time before they need charging, and that water cuts compromise hygiene and wound care (Daily Maverick).

One Katlehong resident told the publication a 10-litre oxygen cylinder lasts him about four hours, and that he has spent more than R20,000 on backup (Daily Maverick).

The South African Association of Homes for the Aged said frail-care residents on electric oxygen may need bottled oxygen or a hospital transfer if a power cut drags on (Daily Maverick).

How do you report an outage in Joburg?

City Power faults:

• online at citypower.mobi (City of Johannesburg)
• Joburg Connect on 0860 562 874, option 2 (City of Johannesburg)
• City Power call centre on 011 490 7484 (The Citizen)

Johannesburg Water faults:

• Joburg Connect on 0860 562 874, option 3 (Joburg Connect)
• 011 688 1699 or [email protected] (The Citizen)

Keep the reference number so you can follow up. For a life-threatening emergency, call an ambulance rather than the fault line.

What does the backup cost?

An electrician quoted in the report put smaller backup systems in Johannesburg and Pretoria at about R28,000 to R45,000, mid-range systems at R50,000 to R80,000 and fuller hybrid solar systems at about R95,000 to R160,000 (Daily Maverick). These are one installer's estimates, not official prices.