Eskom customers to fork out more for electricity

Eskom customers will from 1 April have to fork out more for electricity.

The power utility initially sought a 20.5% tariff hike, but the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) only granted it a 9.61% increase earlier this year.

Eskom’s general manager for regulation, Hasha Tlhothlalemaje, explained that the tariff increase impacted customers who directly buy electricity from the power utility.

A tariff hike for municipal customers comes into effect in July.

“Municipalities on sell to their customers. That process is still under way where NErsa will make a different decision as far as those customers are concerned,” Tlhothlalemaje said.

The increase may be much lower than Eskom had hoped for, but for many customers, it’s still too high amid a rising cost of living.

“I’m actually shocked that they can increase the electricity every time seeing that the citizens are already struggling and they cannot cope,” one customer said.

“Everybody is pressed very hard by petrol increases and all the other stuff that increased,” another added.

Nersa said that the municipal tariff hike would not be much different

Main Image: ESI Africa