City of Cape Town Media Release 3rd July 2009

City urges consumers to save electricity by monitoring consumption

As consumers brace themselves this month for an average electricity price increase of 33,5%, the City of Cape Town has urged households to save energy by monitoring their electricity consumption.

“By measuring your usage you can adjust your lifestyle to effect savings. For example, hot water geysers ‘guzzle’ electricity, but if you adjust the thermostat from 65C to about 55C, the energy savings are considerable,” says Alderman Clive Justus, Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services.

“Pre-paid meters and some of the older credit type of meters can be read daily to check the number of units being used. You can also monitor consumption through your monthly municipal account,” says Justus.

According to Don Early of Cape Town’s Electricity Services, the average domestic consumption is about 600 kWh per month.

“More affluent households average about 1 000 kWh per month, while consumption in informal housing areas is usually in the region of 90 to 150 kWh per month. These amounts will vary according to the size of a household, the usage of electrical appliances, and will be higher in winter than in summer,” says Early.

As from July 01, the City’s new domestic tariff for 600 kWh, has increased from R389,13 to R529,21. For 1 000 kWh, the price has gone up from R626.77 to R852,45. These figures include VAT.

“For low-income consumers, the City has introduced a ‘lifeline tariff’ increase of only 9%. Thus, the cost of 90 kWh has gone up from R22,55 to R24,58, and for 150 kWh from R84,58 to R92,17. These figures include VAT.

“Lifeline tariff customers who purchase 400kWh or less per month will continue to get an automatic free allocation of 50kWh,” says Early.

Commercial tariffs for small power users, large power users and very large power users have gone up by between 27% and 36%.

“These tariff increases only apply to the 550 000 electricity consumers in the Cape metropole who are served by the City of Cape Town. The other 140 000 consumers supplied by Eskom will experience different tariffs,” says Early.

Queries on the new tariffs can be sent to the Electricity Services new SMS line on 31220. The SMS of no more than 160 characters must contain the customer’s name, erf number, account number and brief description of query. Each SMS costs 85c. Alternatively, one can call the hotline 0800 220 440 or send an e-mail to frc@capetown.gov.za.


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Issued by: Communication Department, City of Cape Town

Media enquiries: Alderman Clive Justus, Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 1206 or Cell: 083 628 4136

Don Early, Head: Key Customers & Tariff Development, Cape Town Electricity Services, Tel: 021 918 7125