22-07-2025
Cost of energy is too high
We fully agree with Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa's clear and succinct statement to a television station: the cost of electricity in South Africa is "unsustainable" and is forcing many households into energy poverty.
He elaborated further, explaining that the government was revising electricity tariffs. 'It's unaffordable,' Ramokgopa added.
He summed up the situation by saying many poor people would rather buy bread than purchase electricity units. This is a sad reality faced by millions of South Africans every day.
When those with a regular income complain about the cost of electricity, it is evident that the situation has spiralled out of control. We will not discuss the costs involved — the bottom line is that it is expensive.
Before 2007, when Alec Erwin made his public declaration about the end of cheap electricity, protests like the recent one in Ekurhuleni were less common, as South Africa previously enjoyed some of the lowest electricity tariffs.
Since then, an initial 18% increase has been followed by numerous additional hikes. At that time, price adjustments were necessary to fund infrastructure investments and accommodate a growing population.
Consumers who can afford it have been investing in solar power to make their household manageable, but the government has proposed taxing households with solar energy systems.
So, where do we begin to address the problem?
According to the World Bank, Eskom has 66% more staff than needed to serve its customer base.
The power utility has been under increasing pressure to address its overstaffing issues, implement measures to reduce personnel costs, improve efficiency, and ensure its long-term sustainability.
We believe this could be a starting point for lowering electricity tariffs. We would prefer Eskom not to frequently approach the National Energy Regulator of South Africa asking for more and exorbitant tariff increases.
Lastly, South Africa must accept that paying for electricity is the right thing to do.
Nothing for free, unfortunately.
