Energy coalition calls for input on Eskom hikes

THE Energy Expert Coalition have called on the public to comment on Eskom’s proposed tariff hikes, which they say are to recover Eskom’s shortfall in sales projections.

The coalition created a portal to keep a record of all public participation, linked directly to the National Energy Regulator’s (Nersa) official channel.

The coalition said the annual increase would be 15% for direct Eskom customers and 17% to 20% for municipal customers, until 2022.

“Eskom claims they are entitled to a more than 90% increase if they follow the multi-year price determination rules.

“The basis of those rules is questionable, not transparent, and deliberately inflated by Eskom to solve liquidity ratios in its balance sheet,” said the coalition’s Ted Blom.

The organisation announced that their team recently celebrated a victory against Eskom’s overcharging, and recovered R1.5million for a single client.

“During this case, we uncovered a flawed methodology that has resulted in electricity consumers and municipalities being heavily overcharged by Eskom. As a result, we are taking further action to recover funds for all consumers,” he said.

According to the law, the National Energy Regulator must ask for input from the public before granting any increase, the coalition said. So far, all comments on the website are negative. One read: “I am not willing to pay extra for a corrupt, incompetent, over-staffed organisation that doesn’t care anything at all for the consumer.”

Another read: “We, the public, should not be made to pay for the looting, corruption and mismanagement which has drained Eskom’s resources.”

Eskom did not respond to questions before deadline, despite acknowledging receipt of the Cape Times’s query. The deadline for comment is November 30.