Hearings set for proposed power hikes

Published Jun 9, 2014

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Johannesburg - Thirteen municipalities, including three metros, want to hike their electricity prices above the nationally recommended increase.

The National Energy Regulator (Nersa) was to hold public hearings today in Pretoria on the applications.

The nationally recommended electricity price increase for municipalities is 7.39 percent.

This is the guideline price increase set by Nersa, and it’s the overall increase for each municipality, so within that, some municipal customers may be charged greater increases and others less.

Those municipalities who want to charge an overall higher increase must obtain permission from Nersa for this, and 13 municipalities have applied.

Tswelopele is asking for the highest increase, at 15 percent.

This is to upgrade existing networks and build new capital projects, said Nersa.

Buffalo City (East London), Cape Town and Tshwane are the three metros.

Buffalo City wants to charge 8.5 percent more, to fund “capital projects to strengthen the electricity network”, said Nersa.

Cape Town wants a 7.63 percent increase.

This is because the metro “experienced a decline in energy sales and requires additional funds in order to implement the new electrification programme, service the upgrades in the notified maximum demand, cover the increase in capital charges and continue with the implementation of the apprentice programme”, said Nersa.

Tshwane wants a 9.2 percent increase.

This is for “aligning tariffs to Nersa’s benchmarks”.

 

The public hearings are at the Nersa offices in Madiba Street, Pretoria. - The Star

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