Eskom price hike – here is how much more you will pay

South Africa’s state-owned power utility, Eskom, has introduced its annual price hike, adding to the strain on struggling households.

HOW MUCH MORE WILL YOU BE PAYING? 

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) approved the tariff increase last year. 

Eskom’s more than 12-percent electricity price increase for the 2024/25 financial year started on Monday for Eskom direct customers.

But how much more will you pay? 

MyBroadband consulted Eskom’s Schedule of Standard Prices for the 2024/2025 financial year and calculated roughly how much more Eskom Direct customers will pay for electricity from this month in rands.

MOST OF ESKOM’S DIRECT RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS ARE ON THE HOMEPOWER 4 TARIFF

According to MyBroadband, most of Eskom’s direct residential customers are on the Homepower 4 tariff for households with single-phase 16kVA (80A) connections.

The energy charge on this tariff plan increases from about R2.50 to R2.82 for the first 600kWh of consumption in a month.

Consumption over 600kWh will now be charged at R4.54, instead of R4.03.

ALL HOMEPOWER CUSTOMERS MUST ALSO PAY A FIXED NETWORK CAPACITY CHARGE

The report furthermore states that all Homepower customers must also pay a fixed network capacity charge, which has increased from R6.56 per day to R7.39 for Homepower 4.

“Consequently, the total network capacity cost over 30 days has jumped from R196.80 to R221.70.

“Factoring in the changes in both the energy and capacity charges, the bill of Eskom’s average 900kWh user on Homepower 4 will increase by R370.29,” 

the report said. 

HERE IS A TABLE TO SHOW HOW ESKOM’S ELECTRICITY TARIFF CHANGES WILL IMPACT USERS

The more conservative Homepower 4 user with only 450kWh of consumption will be paying about R168.50 more.

This means the latest tariff hikes will see many direct residential customers paying between R168 and R792 more per month on their electricity bills.

The table below shows how Eskom’s electricity tariff changes will impact Homepower users with varying consumption levels from April 2024: 

HERE ARE SIMPLE WAYS HOW YOU CAN SAVE ELECTRICITY AT HOME

Here are some tips to save electricity at home: 

• Turning off the lights when leaving a room: An essential habit to develop and foster is to make sure that you always turn off the lights when leaving a room. Remember to do so until you get into a habit of doing so subconsciously. You can save a good chunk of your monthly electricity costs by doing something as simple as this.
• Use LED lights: Many homes are moving towards smart LED lights. It look stylish and affordable and is much more efficient than halogen bulbs.
• Switching to efficient appliances: Dryers and refrigerators are two of the most energy-intensive appliances in a home. Replacing these with better, more efficient models can cut electricity usage by half, thereby reducing electricity bills. Installing an air source heat pump in the UK is another idea to reduce electricity consumption. Maintaining and replacing appliances every few years will make them less of a burden on your electricity usage. You only need to consider the heat pump costs.
• Unplug devices: It goes without saying how important it is to unplug devices when not in use. Do not leave devices on standby; instead, unplug them to save your electricity bill and the planet.
• Lessen water usage: Some easy fixes to reduce your water consumption could be taking quick showers, using just the required amount of water while cooking and turning off running taps when unused, even for seconds.
• Keep the thermostat at a lower temperature: Aim to keep your thermostat at around 17 degrees. This can make a big difference and save you energy costs. Using a programmable smart thermostat is even better.
• Use smart automated devices: Smart automated devices can lower your energy bills even when you forget to. Smart automation systems will detect when you’re no longer using a device and turn off the power supply.
• Use double glazing door: Double glazing doors and windows are a perfect solution for a modern home as they can significantly reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases from heating and cooling thereby reducing your carbon footprint and also lowering your energy bills.
• Cook with the lid on: This is a super simple hack in everyday life to save energy consumption, by cooking with the lid you are making sure to lessen the cooking time and water usage significantly.
• Using a smart meter: A smart meter is a great way to see how much power you’re consuming. This will help you keep track of your consumption in real time and where you can reduce it.

This increase comes days after the newly appointed Dan Marokane took his position as the new CEO on 31 March.

Last year, Eskom found itself in the midst of controversy as it seeks a new corporate identity through a logo redesign.