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Eskom’s Proposed Tariff Hike
Hold on to your wallets everyone!
Eskom is gearing up to ask the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) for some whopping electricity tariff hikes.
Yes, Eskom are hoping to get a scary 36.15% and even a jaw-dropping 43.55% increase for some customers next year. These shocking figures come from a leaked draft document detailing Eskom’s financial plans for 2026 – 2028.
What Will That Cost You?
If the planned increases goes through (which is not really likely), you could see your monthly electricity bill skyrocket by up to R2,500, depending on how much power you use.
For the average household that uses around 900 kWh, this could mean an extra R1,600 a month.
Yes, you heard that correctly, so, you better hope your boss is looking at raises for next year, or be prepared to turn some lights off at night.
It May Not Be That Much
Experts are saying that people should not panic just yet, as Nersa has seldom given Eskom what they have asked for.
Remember the 2023/24 increase request of 32%? Eskom was only granted just over 18%. Of course that increase has still hit many people hard, and people across the country decided cold showers were just what they needed this year.
It is clear that Eskom needs more money to stay in business, and not go running to get a bailout every year. So, in order to get that, they are going to have to put prices up, while cutting down on corruption and wastage. With more and more people trying to cut dependence on Eskom’s dodgy electricity supply, they are ending up with less paying clients or clients who are paying less. So unfortunately, prices must go up.
Still, while we might not be looking at the full 36.15% increase, brace yourselves for another hefty increase and one that is likely to be in the double digits again.
And Cough…
Here are some rough examples of what that might mean if Eskom did get the slightly unlikely 36.15% increase:
|
600kWh per month |
|
|
2024 bill |
R3,097.92 |
|
2025 bill |
R4217.82 |
|
Increase |
R1,119.90 |
|
|
|
|
900kWh per month |
|
|
2024 bill |
R4,402.20 |
|
2025 bill |
R5,993.60 |
|
Increase |
R1,591.40 |
The proposed hikes still need to go through public comments and hearings, so there’s a very high chance for pushback.
But one thing’s for sure: electricity is about to get a whole lot more expensive.
Better start saving those rands!
The post Get Ready For A Shock first appeared on Debtfree Magazine.