Embattled power utility Eskom is proposing new power tariffs which will demand people who have moved to solar energy to pay close to R1000 each month for electricity even if they they do not use it.
Eskom maintains that tariffs need to be modernised to reflect the changing electricity environment and ensure fair recovery by all the services to be provided by all grid users and the system.
“The aim is not to get additional revenue but to rebalance tariffs in such a way that fixed costs are recovered to a greater extent by fixed charges,” Eskom said.
The new structured tariffs would hit users of solar energy very hard. Consumers will be expected to pay a fixed capacity fee, regardless of the amount of power usage. Another fee will be paid based on the consumption of Eskom’s power.
The power utility initially charged R218 for their grid connection if their electricity was not used by people with solar panels. The newly proposed fixed capacity will demand that solar power users to pay an extra R720. This means that if a person stays on the Eskom grid and installs a solar panel, then the person should expect to pay a total of R938 per month.
According to Eskom, the current tariff structure subsides those households with lower usage through the fees charged to those with higher consumption
Eskom is also proposing a net-billing rate for those capable of producing their own electricity. The national energy regulator Nersa is yet to decide whether to grant Eskom’s application for a tariff increase of 32.66 percent.