Ramokgopa slams municipalities for increasing electricity tariffs

Minister Ramokgopa slammed municipalities for raising electricity tariffs due to unpaid bills from certain customers, arguing that this unfairly burdens those who pay their bills. He explained that affluent areas often face higher tariffs due to time-of-use charges and higher consumption levels. Ramokgopa emphasized that overcharging the "affluent customers" to subsidize the poor should be eliminated because customers who pay their bills are already being overburdened.

He stated that the revised policy will not punish paying customers for unpaid bills, instead focusing on pursuing those who owe money to Eskom and municipalities. He also highlighted inefficiencies such as technical and non-technical losses, illegal connections to the grid, and poor infrastructure maintenance, which contribute to the inflated tariffs.

Ramokgopa outlined three priorities: eliminating load shedding, addressing load reduction, and tackling the rising electricity tariffs. He noted that electricity tariffs have increased by 97% since 2007, while inflation has risen by 150%, negatively impacting industries and household disposable income. Ramokgopa plans to present the Revised Electricity Pricing Policy to cabinet for public comment, as the current policy has remained unchanged since 2008, and the cost of electricity significantly affects the country's economy.