Just when everyone was beginning to take a deep sigh of relief, South African consumers have learnt that they will now have to fork out more for electricity.
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) said in a statement on Thursday that a revenue determination has been approved for implementation from April 1 2022.
“This determination will allow Eskom to apply the adjusted price to customers,” the energy regulator said.
This will result in Eskom increasing electricity tariffs by 9.6%. The power utility had sought a tariff hike of 20.5% for the 2022/23 financial year. In December 2021, a high court ruled in favour of Eskom in its legal battle against Nersa.
Calib Cassim, Eskom’s chief financial officer, said: “The financial implications of the decision on Eskom’s long-term sustainability will need to be further understood. It is understood that Nersa considered the impact on consumers and the financial sustainability of Eskom as it made its decision.”
The new tariffs and prices will be effective from April 1 for Eskom’s direct customers, and from July 1 for municipalities.
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