Just 1 in 5 eligible households receiving Free Basic Electricity in 2024
Minister Ramokgopa attributes the low uptake of Free Basic Electricity in 2024 to “challenges” within local municipalities.
Free Basic Electricity for 2024, approved by the national regulator, was launched on 1 July.
The South African reported as such and we were inundated by readers wanting to know more. Now, two-months into the financial-relief programme, and uptake is seriously slow, reports TimesLive.
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) created a threshold for local municipalities to compensate Eskom for free units. Therefore, a NERSA-approved rate of 194.40 c/kWh for the year was agreed upon. However, of the more than 10-million households that should qualify for Free Basic Electricity in 2024, only 2 million have successfully applied through their local municipality.
FREE BASIC ELECTRICITY IN 2024
According to Energy and Electricity Minister Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, this is due to ‘challenges’ at municipal level. “Municipalities are receiving this grant for Free Basic Electricity in 2024. And It is important that we resolve the low uptake, so we are able to protect the poor,” urged the minister.
“Moreover, Eskom is owed about R78 billion by municipalities. And municipalities are owed R349 billion by various customers. It is an area that requires urgent attention, as we want to protect the interests of municipalities and Eskom,” the minister said.
MASSIVE ESKOM TARIFF INCREASES
Furthermore, the minister reiterated that Eskom should be protecting everyone. But also poorer households who genuinely can’t afford electricity because of their economic constraints. As a result, steps have been taken to ensure 10-million households receive Free Basic Electricity in 2024.
“As the cost of electricity has increased almost 400% in the past 10 years, it was important to find innovative solutions to address this challenge. Middle-income households also experiencing severe pressure also deserve relief. I made a point that I wanted to achieve certain things with our electricity pricing policy. And one of them is to ensure electricity is affordable to low-income households,” concluded the minister.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply for Free Basic Electricity in 2024, you need to contact your local municipality to see if you qualify. Certain homes are identified by local municipalities. They will then contact Eskom to secure you your benefits. If you’re poor enough to be surviving off South African Social Security Agency grants, you’re probably eligible for financial relief. So get in touch.
If and when you’re added to the database, you’ll be able to collect free electricity vouchers on a monthly basis from any Eskom outlets. Although variable, it’s understood the maximum Free Basic Electricity in 2024 will be 60 kWh per household per month. And you’re only charged for anything you use above this limit. And only one voucher is valid each month on your prepaid meter.