KZN ratepayer associations bemoan latest electricity tariff hike

Residents who receive their power directly from Eskom will from today be paying 9.61% more for supply. 

Chairperson of the Bluff Ratepayers Association Ivor Alyward says the increase is a blow to struggling households.

"To me, it's a sin. They should go into it because there are millions of people that are living on grants of R350. You see them standing at the Post Office. 

"But I think they should think about it and try to balance it out in some way. You can't just say this is the hike. What's it doing to cause? More poverty." 

Sunil Beekrum from the Kenville/Sea Cow Lake Ratepayers Association says their areas already have a lot on their plate. 

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"People cannot afford it, as it is they are battling with the lights and water. We have got mostly pensioners living in this area and our area is outstretched with informal settlements here that we are outnumbered and the service delivery is so bad in this area. 

"We don't want the lights to increase; we actually want the rates to decrease."

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa's Thilivhali Nthakheni explains how the tariff increase was arrived at.

"We don't only consider the costs, we also consider the affordability by the customers and coming to the issue of the cost we consider the cost from generation because as you know and the customer as they know electricity needs to be generated, transmitted and it needs to be distributed. So there are costs involved to get electricity to the costumers." 

The tariff increase for municipal customers will kick in in July.