The ministry of electricity and energy is looking at the possibility of increasing free basic electricity for indigent families from 50kWh to 200kWh a month.
Director-general Subesh Pillay said on Sunday the plan to increase the free units had arisen from a recent study that looked into universal access to energy that showed that the 50kWh that was introduced in 2003 is insufficient and should be around 200kWh.
The amount of free electricity for indigent families has not increased since it was introduced 23 years ago.
“When you think about energy use almost 25 years ago, particularly for low-earning consumers, it is a very different demand profile to what it is today,” Pillay said. “The first point is that over 25 years that 50kWh has become insufficient to sustain a basic level of energy for a household.”
Electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa told parliament last week that about 2.1 million families should be on the indigent programme for electricity, but only 400,000 were receiving it. He blamed municipal shortcomings for not getting more people into the system.
Pillay added: “The second point is that even for that 50kWh...not everyone who deserves to get it is getting it, simply because municipal systems for identifying indigent households aligning to their billing systems are weak.”
He said three departments have started discussing the need to increase the volume of free electricity, and the focus of these discussions will be on three areas.
“What we have initiated is a conversation with our sister department [including the South African Local Government Association] to say we need to have a serious discussion about the affordability of energy.
“What we have is this figure of about 200kWh, but that figure needs to be interrogated. We need to understand whether the figure is accurate. That is the first part,” he said.
“The second part, if we agree on 200kWh, will be how will it be funded. The third part will be what are the mechanisms in place to ensure that consumers get the free electricity?” he said.
Pillay said after the discussions have been concluded, they will be put to the public for comment.
He added that putting indigent families on the basic free electricity programme will also reduce the number of illegal connections.
“I am not condoning illegal connections, but it’s really because people can’t afford electricity...
“I am saying we should distinguish between those that the state must provide for and people who are recklessly connecting illegally to the system. Once we have addressed that question, then we can deal with those who are just choosing not to pay for electricity, and we will develop a different approach to those,” said Pillay.
Phelelani Sindani, a ward councillor in Protea Glen, Soweto, said some families qualify for the programme but are not on it because of the city’s billing system.
“One of the cases that came to my attention is that of a person who has been overbilled in their taxes and rates. They [the municipality] said the person resides on business land, but...he resides on residential land.”
Sindani emphasised the need for an accurate billing system.
“I sit on the finance committee, and you hear other councillors talking about billing which is not correct. So you can see that the problem is internal. We need to deal with our billing system,” he said.
Sindani said some people are not aware of the free units because they don’t attend public meetings and the municipality is also doing little to educate them about it.
Leah Makhubo from Qwa Qwa, Free State, whose family has been on the programme for more than 20 years, agrees that free electricity needs to be increased.
“It is not enough,” she said. “We add [to it] with R50 or so so that it can last us for a month. That means we use the electricity to have light, watch TV and for the refrigerator only. We use gas to boil water for bathing and cooking, which is extra money.
“We are a family of six, and only one person is working. In winter the expense on electricity is high because the kids need to bath in front of a heater,” she said.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.