»Will NERSA approve Eskom’s 32% tariff hike request?«
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) will decide on Eskom’s 32% revenue application for 2023/24.
The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria gave NERSA until 12 January 2023 to decide.
Eskom rarely receives the regulator’s requested rise, as reported. In April 2022, prices jumped 9.61%, but the electricity utility had requested a 20.5% rise from NERSA.
Eskom’s fifth Multi-Year Price Determination (MYPD5) revenue application to raise tariffs by 32% on April 1, 2023, and 9.74% in 2024/2025.
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The Democratic Alliance (DA) and other parties urged NERSA to reject Eskom’s application.
The party called the power utility’s recent tariff application for a 32.7% electricity price rise unjust and an insult to South Africans who faced arguably the worst load shedding schedule in 2022.
Due to high inflation and growing living costs, South Africans are already struggling. Eskom’s exorbitant electricity bill rise for a service they cannot offer is unacceptable.
“Consumers cannot subsidise Eskom’s unviable business model and the ANC’s decades-long failure to open up the energy market to independent power producers.”
Due to severe capacity constraints, Eskom has increased load shedding to Stage 6 until further notice.
On Wednesday, 11 January, the power utility said that Stage 6 power cuts would last longer than Stage 4 load shedding from 16:00 to 05:00 until further notice due to severe limitations. Since Tuesday morning, 10 January, 11 generators have failed.
»Will NERSA approve Eskom’s 32% tariff hike request?«