Nersa to hold municipality electricity tariff increase public hearings over proposed 7.47%
Earlier this month the DA was not happy about the lack of public hearings for the municipal tariffs.
As the final date for comments on municipal electricity tariff increases nears, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) announced that it will host public hearings although it had initially decided not to.
Nersa proposed an average electricity tariff increase of 7.47% for municipalities under the 2022/23 financial year. Comments will close on April 22.
Their decision to hold public hearings came after various stakeholders asked that a public hearing be held on the matter.
“It is for this reason that we decided to hold a public hearing on a date to be published later,” Nersa said in a statement.
Earlier this month, the DA was not happy about the lack of public hearings for the municipal tariffs.
DA mineral resources and energy spokesperson Kevin Mileham said: “It is simply unacceptable for tariff hikes to be imposed on consumers without any public hearings. A cloak-and-dagger operation carried out without the input of those who would be most affected, is simply not right.”
Mileham said due to municipalities financially struggling, the tariff increase costs would be passed onto the consumer.
Nersa said it was well in its right by initially deciding not to hold public hearings. “The energy regulator opted not to hold a public hearing, but rather decided to follow a notice and comment process.”
This was because “in the past, few to no presenters” attended the public hearings to make representations to Nersa.
The final guideline increase will be published by May 11 to enable the municipal tariff increase process to be finalised for implementation by July 1.
In February, a 9.61% tariff increase instead of a 20.5% application by Eskom was approved. Nersa received more than 60 000 comments from private individuals, who all raised affordability concerns.
The 20.5% increase received unwelcome responses from residents as well as politicians.
Tshwane mayor Randall Williams rejected the proposed increase, describing it as “exorbitant” and “having a detrimental effect” on residents.
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