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Free basic electricity worth 50 kWh will be given to low-income households who can prove they meet the qualifying criteria.
Image for illustrative purposes. Picture: X / @RekordNewspaper
Low-income households in Johannesburg have one month left to register for access to a free allocation of electricity.
City Power launched the free basic electricity drive in early June, and the registration deadline will pass on 31 July.
The municipal entity listed several qualifying criteria, with CEO Tshifularo Mashava stressing the drive was part of a wider commitment to service delivery.
Free basic electricity
Residents who successfully register will receive 50 kWh of electricity for free every month and will also be exempt from City Power’s R230 surcharge.
Additionally, tampered and bypassed meters will be fixed free of charge and without any penalties, and beneficiaries will also be considered for other municipal tariff rebates.
Mashava stated that by registering, residents were helping the city combat illegal connections and a culture of non-payment.
“This programme is about equity, accountability, and financial sustainability. With your cooperation, we can ensure no household is unfairly disconnected and no customer abuses the system to the detriment of others,” said the CEO.
She stressed that a grace period for the normalisation of tampered, bypassed, and damaged meters would be in place until the 31 July deadline.
“This isn’t just about electricity, it’s about dignity. It’s about a warm meal, a child doing homework under a lightbulb,” she added.
Take up low so far
City Power have set a registration target of 130 000 indigent customers, but lamented that it had 140 000 non-vending customers who were still not paying for basic services.
As of Tuesday, 2 360 households had registered for their free electricity allocation. Incomplete documentation had left 1 189 registrations pending, while 1 171 registrations have been successfully completed.
“We continue to face challenges in certain areas, particularly informal settlements, where turnout remains low, and many households are either bypassing meters or are illegally connected to the network and are not willing to come forward,” Mangena told The Citizen.
Newly registered households have come from Regions A, C, E, F, and G, with Mangena noting that most households in the other regions are already registered or have an income above the threshold and are paying customers.
Qualification criteria
FBE is aimed at Sassa recipients, households with a combined monthly income of less than R7 500, pensioners, the unemployed, vulnerable individuals, and child-headed households.
To qualify, residents must:
- Be South African citizens or permanent residents
- Be the legal occupants of the property
- Have a valid South African identity document
- Provide proof of residence and a municipal account
- Prove household monthly income is less than the R7 500 threshold
City Power will have pop-up registration kiosks throughout the drive, and those who feel they qualify may also inquire at malls, South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) pay points and ward councillor-led campaigns.
“There is now no excuse. If you qualify, register and receive free basic electricity. If you can afford to pay and refuse, we will begin a mass disconnection initiative where we will be removing our meters and other equipment,” said Mashava.
“We are ready to assist. Now, we need the public to act. We don’t want anyone left behind,” the CEO concluded.
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