Eskom Wants South Africans To Pay More For Electricity

While load shedding remains a daily threat, South Africans could pay more for electricity.

Eskom and the energy regulator are heading to court after the power utility approached the High Court in Pretoria, asking that it set aside part of Nersa’s decision to limit its revenue from electricity tariffs.

In the court papers, Nersa is arguing that the embattled power utility’s incompetence and maladministration have resulted in the public forking out more money.

Electricity prices could increase by as much as 16% should Eskom’s court application succeed next week.

Energy expert Ted Bloom explained: “I have doubts whether Eskom would win this one. Technically, they admitted that they are wrong and did the wrong thing.”

Nersa has deducted the R69 billion government bailout from the utility’s approved revenue for the current tariff period, which ends in March 2022.

Bloom said this would see tariffs increase even more.

“They claim that they are R102 billion down the hole and they’ll try to reclaim that over three years, so that comes to roughly 18% increase for our tariffs.”

EWN