The Electricity and Energy Minister says paying customers are unfairly burdened by non-payment, illegal connections and growing municipal debt to Eskom.
By Mapaballo Borotho
Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa is taking aim at municipalities for increasing electricity tariffs to offset the cost of non-paying customers.
Ramokgopa says the practice unfairly burdens customers who pay their bills and contributes to growing municipal debt to Eskom.
The minister says proposed changes to the Electricity Pricing Policy are aimed at reducing electricity costs and easing the pressure on low-income households.
Phemelo spoke to Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa on Kaya 959’s Point of View.
“We have made strides with load-shedding; I think we are now generating at extra capacity. We are looking to allocate that capacity to help grow the country’s economy,” the minister said.
He also touched on the issue of load reduction, citing that Eskom has ended this phenomenon in seven of the country’s provinces.
“We are left with parts of Gauteng and KZN. I have committed that we will by the first quarter of 2027 eliminate it totally across the country. Our main focus is also the cost of electricity in South Africa. I mean, we can end load-shedding and load reduction, but we are going to be confronted with the situation where energy is available but not accessible,” he said.
Municipalities continue to increase the cost of electricity in their different metros, putting a strain on ordinary citizens who find electricity even more expensive.
However, non-paying customers continue to enjoy this basic need, placing a strain on electricity suppliers and paying customers.
Ramokgopa says there’s no use in having the availability of electricity if people cannot afford it.
“Families are forced to make difficult choices; families are forced to choose between having three meals a day or paying for electricity,” he said.
Ramokgopa says Eskom is looking to get to a point where it achieves efficient pricing.
“We want to unbundle the electricity bill that you are receiving. The tariff must show the energy cost, what happens at the power station, the network charges, ancillary services, as well as municipal fare charges.”
The minister says people who choose not to pay for electricity and illegal connections in townships are the main drivers of the high cost of electricity tariffs in South Africa.
He says the more people decide not to pay for electricity, the more the municipality and Eskom debt grows.
“The technical and non-technical losses – those people who connect themselves illegally are putting a strain on diligent paying customers, and that is not acceptable. Paying customers are actually paying more than they should be paying because of such factors,” he added.
Listen to the podcast for the full conversation.
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