For many South African households, electricity is either too expensive, too unreliable, or just too complicated. Wetility, a local solar energy company, believes it does not have to be that way.
At the inaugural The Energy Leap event in Johannesburg on October 3, Wetility announced the launch of a new product called One Bill. It is a simple idea with a big goal. One Bill gives customers one monthly payment that covers both their regular electricity from the grid and their solar power. That means no more dealing with two different bills or trying to figure out how much came from solar and how much came from the grid.
Ikenna Oguguo, one of Wetility’s co-founders, said electricity should not be a luxury. He explained that One Bill is designed to make energy more affordable and easier to manage, so that more families can benefit from solar power without stress or surprise costs.
Even though South Africa has plenty of sunshine, very few homes use solar. This is often because people are worried about high prices, confusing systems, and whether it is even worth it. At the same time, households are dealing with load shedding and electricity prices that keep going up.
Wetility believes that One Bill can solve these problems. It uses each customer’s past electricity usage to suggest the right solar setup for their home. As needs change, Wetility can adjust the system automatically. Customers do not need to figure out anything technical. They just get a system that works.
The announcement of the launch of One Bill took place at Wetility’s The Energy Leap event. Around 200 people attended, including investors, students, government leaders and people from the energy and technology industries. The speakers included Antony Phillipson, the UK High Commissioner to South Africa, Dr Rethabile Melamu from the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association, Christo Fourie from the Industrial Development Corporation and Rochani Steenkamp from MultiChoice. They all spoke about the need for clean and affordable energy solutions in the country.
Wetility says One Bill brings together many years of work and combines smart technology with customer care. The system learns from data and adapts over time so that it continues to meet each household’s needs. In a country where electricity is expensive, Wetility has come up with a solution that may give Eskom a run for its money.
