The National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM) says efforts to address the country’s electricity supply issues will be discussed at the Energy Indaba hosted in Nelson Mandela Bay today.
The two-day programme will see Eskom and NECOM present the most recent progress reports on the energy action plan as well as international solutions that can help South Africa address its power crunch.
NECOM’s Malcolm van Harte, “One of the key focuses of the conference is encouraging and incentivizing customers in managing the demand. As we do know the power system is managed both by system, which is the generation and the demand on the system. So, the better customers and businesses and employers as a large participate in saving electricity, reducing their bills. It will assist us in managing the overall demand of electricity.”
Meanwhile, Eskom is seeking to increase electricity tariffs by 36.5% in 2025. The power utility states that the delayed implementation of South Africa’s renewable energy programme has pressured it to increase its generation capacity.
If the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) approves the proposal, the hike will take effect on July 1, 2025.
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) has strongly opposed the move, warning that it will worsen the cost-of-living crisis.
SAFTU spokesperson Trevor Shaku says, “Our worry is that if the arbitration is approved by Nersa, it is going to exacerbate the cost of living, which is already at a crisis level whereby many households cannot afford. And this is reflected in the fact that consumer confidence has gone down.”
Shaku adds, “We are also faced with interest rates that have gone up, we are faced with fuel prices that have gone up, and many other utilities that make the household survive on a day-to-day basis.”
