RSA: Electricity bill may rise by 24%
Thématique :
sud afrique
March 18 2008
South Africans could be staring at a shocking electricity price increase of more than 24 percent if Eskom's appeal this week to the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) is successful.
Nersa member responsible for electricity Thembani Dukula on Monday confirmed that Eskom would be applying for a "double-digit increase" above and beyond the 14,2 percent it has already been awarded.
"It is certainly not increases that are below 10 percent. It's double-digit increases that you are talking about, over and above the 14 percent that they have already been given," Dukula said.
This double whammy is expected to hurt even more as it comes on the back of a 2c per kilowatt-hour (kWh) levy that was introduced by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel during his budget last month, and an additional threat of a 75c per kWh penalty for consumers who exceed their electricity quota.
It is believed that Eskom will target customers in the upper-income bracket; people living in wealthier suburbs with homes that have good lighting, a geyser, under-floor heating, electrical gadgets and a swimming pool.
Residents in better-off suburbs will be asked to slash their energy consumption by 10 percent - or pay a penalty measured on a daily basis.
At present, customers pay 40c/kWh for energy, but when the new tariff structure comes into effect, heavy users could pay more than R1,50 per kWh during peak periods.
Eskom board chairman Valli Moosa confirmed last night that the power utility would be making its application to Nersa later this week.
South Africans could be staring at a shocking electricity price increase of more than 24 percent if Eskom's appeal this week to the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) is successful.
Nersa member responsible for electricity Thembani Dukula on Monday confirmed that Eskom would be applying for a "double-digit increase" above and beyond the 14,2 percent it has already been awarded.
"It is certainly not increases that are below 10 percent. It's double-digit increases that you are talking about, over and above the 14 percent that they have already been given," Dukula said.
This double whammy is expected to hurt even more as it comes on the back of a 2c per kilowatt-hour (kWh) levy that was introduced by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel during his budget last month, and an additional threat of a 75c per kWh penalty for consumers who exceed their electricity quota.
It is believed that Eskom will target customers in the upper-income bracket; people living in wealthier suburbs with homes that have good lighting, a geyser, under-floor heating, electrical gadgets and a swimming pool.
Residents in better-off suburbs will be asked to slash their energy consumption by 10 percent - or pay a penalty measured on a daily basis.
At present, customers pay 40c/kWh for energy, but when the new tariff structure comes into effect, heavy users could pay more than R1,50 per kWh during peak periods.
Eskom board chairman Valli Moosa confirmed last night that the power utility would be making its application to Nersa later this week.
