Nersa hears residents faced with unusually high electricity bills
A Durban resident believes if Eskom can be assisted financially, then the average South African should also be met halfway.
Desere De Wall of the Sydenham Lodge Body Corporate made a submission at the public hearings by National Energy regulator of South Africa into an Eskom application to be allowed to recoup some money.
The parastatal is trying to get back nearly R67 billion which it says was money spent on keeping the lights on over and above its ordinary budget over the past three years.
If it gets the green light then consumers will be paying more for electricity.
De Wall told a NERSA panel that the matter of a tariff increase is laughable when ratepayers in areas such as hers are being incorrectly billed by the municipality.
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"The readings were not done. So, they were assuming an amount. After the three-month period, large amounts of bills were given to individuals - whether it was 5000 to 10 000.
"One person had a bill of up to R11 500 accumulated in a three-month period. This is a pensioner that either lives alone or has two people in the home. And you're getting a bill so high. It's ridiculous and inhumane," de Wall said.