{
  "id": 17902785,
  "title": "Free basic electricity would reduce poverty and inequality",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/free-basic-electricity-would-reduce-poverty-and-inequality",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-03T03:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "GroundUp",
    "slug": "groundup",
    "url": "https://groundup.org.za/article/free-basic-electricity-would-reduce-poverty-and-inequality/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dr Tracy Ledger and Mahlatse Rampedi, researchers at the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), argue that universal access to electricity could significantly reduce poverty and inequality in South Africa. In their 2022 book \"Hungry for Electricity,\" they highlight how electricity can improve quality of life, generate new employment, support small businesses, and alleviate food insecurity. The government's existing Free Basic Electricity (FBE) program offers a 50kWh monthly allowance to low-income households, but this is considered insufficient to meet basic needs. The uptake of FBE is also low, with only about two million of the ten million eligible households receiving assistance, mainly due to inadequate coordination and bureaucratic challenges.\n\nResearch indicates that even the current limited subsidy has led to minor improvements in clean cooking, essential appliance usage, and minor gains in literacy and numeracy. PARI suggests that a more substantial allowance of 350kWh per month would be ideal, enabling households to cook daily, heat water, and engage in small-scale home-based economic activities. A South African energy and climate non-profit, 350 Africa, has initiated an \"Electricity for All\" campaign, advocating for 350kWh of free electricity for all eligible households, an end to unfair disconnections, load shedding, and expensive smart meters and reconnection fees. The campaign has garnered support from over 20 organizations, including the Climate Justice Coalition, WWF South Africa, the New Economy Hub, labor unions, the University of Johannesburg Centre for Social Change, PARI, and Fossil Free South Africa.\n\nRecently, the government proposed increasing the FBE allocation to between 200kWh and 300kWh, but the Electricity for All campaign contends that this is still inadequate, as per PARI's research, which recommends 350kWh as a developmental level of electricity for households. Ahead of the upcoming local government elections, the campaign urges governments, municipalities, and political parties to prioritize affordable electricity, emphasizing that expanding FBE to 350kWh is feasible and hinges on political will and government priorities. Ferron Pedro, senior energy campaigner for 350 Africa, stresses that the decision ultimately boils down to whether the government prioritizes people or corporate profit. The campaign believes that expanded FBE would yield economic and social advantages for low-income households, preventing them from sacrificing food for electricity and enabling them to start small businesses such as tuck shops and hair salons.",
  "summary": "The Electricity for All campaign has been held in the run-up to the municipal elections",
  "key_points": [
    "Free Basic Electricity program offers 50kWh monthly allowance to low-income households.",
    "Current FBE uptake is low at about two million eligible households.",
    "Electricity for All campaign advocates for 350kWh free electricity per household."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Expanding the electricity subsidy to a developmental level of 350kWh offers low-income households the necessary resources to foster small businesses and mitigate food insecurity across South Africa.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}