Smart metering.
Precision billing.
Sophisticated billing-grade meters, with both virtual prepaid and STS prepaid, for business parks, commercial properties and residential estates. We manage thousands of meters across power and water.
Tenants see their usage. Landlords hand over the billing.
With our prepaid energy services, tenants decide how and when they use energy. On STS and virtual prepaid alike, they see their usage on a dashboard. Virtual prepaid adds an online balance and statements.
Smart meters
Accurate, tamper-aware prepaid metering, with time-stamped readings at half-hour or 15-minute intervals.
Paid upfront
Prepaid takes the monthly debtors’ cycle out of your hands. Tenants pay first, and supply can switch off when credit runs out.
Fewer disputes
Tenants on STS and virtual prepaid can see their own usage, so a query starts from the same numbers.
Fully supported
Installed, commissioned and supported by Northlands. Taking over an existing site depends on the meters in place and any current provider.
What billing-grade means
Billing-grade means the figure on your statement comes directly from time-stamped meter readings, run through your tariff, with any gaps flagged and each site reconciled against an independent check meter.
Virtual prepaid or STS prepaid
We use both, and both give you an energy usage dashboard. The difference is where the credit sits and how you buy it.
| Compare | Virtual prepaidWallet | STS prepaidToken |
|---|---|---|
| In short | Our smart virtual prepaid, run directly by Northlands Energy, with a lower fee. No tokens and no keypad. | Traditional STS tokens, the international prepaid token standard published as IEC 62055-41, on metering enhanced by Northlands Energy. |
| Buy credit | Top up through the portal or by direct EFT | Buy tokens from your banking app or a retailer |
| Credit sits | In a sophisticated online wallet that can manage power, water and connectivity | In the meter |
| Meter | Smart meter with communications | STS keypad meter, enhanced by Northlands Energy |
| Token | None | Yes, entered on the keypad |
| Usage dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Wattson on WhatsApp | Balance and breaker status | None |
| Out of credit | Remote breaker opens | Meter disconnects locally |
| Back on | Automatic once back in credit | Enter a new token |
Load breakers, at the meter
Billing-grade meters switch supply off when credit runs out and back on after a top-up. On virtual prepaid, the breaker sits at the meter and switches through our metering platform. On STS prepaid, the meter disconnects locally until a new token is entered.
- On virtual prepaid, supply returns automatically once you are back in credit.
- Ask Wattson. Virtual prepaid tenants can check balance and breaker status with Wattson, our AI assistant on WhatsApp, any time.
- In credit and still off? Message Wattson on WhatsApp. On virtual prepaid, Wattson checks the breaker and restores supply where it can, or hands you to our team.
For your tenants: top up anywhere, any time
Virtual prepaid customers pay a lower fee and top up online or by bank transfer. STS customers buy tokens as usual, from their banking app or a retailer.
Virtual prepaid
Online portal
Top up by card or Instant EFT through the portal, any time. PayFast takes the payment, usually in about a minute.
Bank transfer
Direct EFT
Prefer a bank transfer? Direct EFT has no transaction fee and can take up to 24 hours to reflect. Email your proof of payment.
Balance check
Ask Wattson
On virtual prepaid, Wattson, our AI assistant on WhatsApp, checks your balance and breaker status any time. To top up, use the portal or direct EFT.
On your dashboard
STS and virtual prepaid customers both see their energy usage. Virtual prepaid adds the online wallet, with statements and provisional bills.
- Energy usage, on both routes
- Wallet balance and days left
- Monthly statements
- Provisional bills
See where the energy goes
Meter every tenant, reconcile against the bulk supply and see where energy goes missing.
- Reconciliation. Independent check meters show what came in. Tenant meters show where it went.
- Statements. Virtual prepaid tenants see their own. On STS sites, landlords get a monthly statement per meter.
- Fewer disputes. Tenants on STS and virtual prepaid can see their own usage.
- White-labelled. The platform is available under your brand, for IPPs and larger developments.
From the tenant unit to the main board
- Direct-connected meters for tenant units
- CT metering for larger supplies
- Each meter mapped to its tenant, unit and distribution board
- Installed, commissioned and supported by Northlands
Register for prepaid
Moving into a Northlands-metered property? Registration takes a few minutes, then our team sets up your account. Landlord or owner? Ask us to convert your building to smart prepaid metering.
Commercial
Businesses and tenants in our managed business parks and commercial properties.
Landlords: take billing off your plate.
Tell us how many units you have and how they are metered today.