Nersa announces power price hikes

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Pretoria - National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) has announced that electricity tariffs will go up by 24.8 percent, 25.8 percent and 25.9 percent over the next three years.

"This will result in percentage price increase of 24.8 percent on average standard tariff from 1 April 2010 followed by another average increase of 25.8 percent from April 2011 and 25.9 in April 2012," Nersa Chairwoman Cecilia Khuzwayo said on Wednesday.

This results in the average standard price of 41.57 cents per kilowatt hour for 2010/11, 52.3 cents per kilowatt hour for 2011 to 2012 and 65.85 cents per kilowatt hour for 2012/13.

In December, Eskom revised its original 45 percent request down to 35 percent following further consultation with stakeholders over its Multi-Year Price Determination over the course of the next three years.

Economists had predicted that Eskom, which wants to use the tariffs to help raise funds for a R385 billion power expansion programme, would receive a minimum 25 percent increment while others thought they would receive the 35 percent.