Is it possible that a pre-paid meter can be set incorrectly to "over charge" for consumption? I've just moved into a new house in a complex, all the units use pre-paid meters. The first month was more than just a shock, when I had to purchase 3 times as much as I expected to! Our electricity consumption in this 200m2 unit is more than the 600m2 we moved from. I compared notes with my neighbours, they are all paying roughly a third of what I'm paying. I have checked the fridge, the freezer, the geyser... everything is set the way it should be, nothing ridiculous or leaking or broken. I replaced the lightbulbs with energy saving bulbs where I could, and I've become obsessed with switching everything off. Still, no less than R 1 000 per month! We're not even home during the day!

I've never used pre-paid meters before, so I'm not sure how to procede. The box is the property of the municipality, right? So if it's possible that this thing is set incorrectly (it HAS to be, this can't be normal!), then I should contact them to come out and fix this?