Robyn Kessler, Rondebosch
We have been asked by the energy provider to use electricity sparingly, and, in the case of rising electricity rates, many comply... except, notably, the City of Cape Town itself, which leaves multiple street lights on during the day. After all, the public pays for it with rates, so why should they worry?
But this month, despite minimal electricity use, I now received a “home user” charge in addition to regular electricity for the first time.
What is a “home user” charge? Is it a fee for not using prepaid electricity? Or is it in line with the consideration of charging each house a fee, regardless of whether or not they use electricity?
What are these new fees for? It starts to feel like daylight robbery when one has to pay for things one isn't purchasing or aware of using. Some clarification is required please.
• Mayoral committee member for energy Beverley van Reenen responds:
The City of Cape Town can confirm that Mr Kessler has been on the City’s home-user tariff since July 28, 2018, and has been charged for the home-user tariff since then.
The City’s records show that Mr Kessler’s meter is read on a monthly basis and his electricity consumption is based on actual readings and not estimates.
Residents are encouraged to visit the City’s website for more information or to contact us directly through our various contact channels.
The City’s electricity tariffs have been formulated in accordance with legal statutes, including the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act and The Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, as well as with guidelines established by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa.
The home-user tariff is applicable to all residential credit meters regardless of consumption, property value or rebates.
The home-user charge is a fixed-service charge and is a charge to recover fixed costs such as network operations and maintenance, capital, meter reading, and billing. This charge may be recovered as a daily or monthly charge. It is applicable throughout the entire period during which the relevant property is connected, irrespective of whether any electricity is used or not.
Mr Kessler is encouraged to contact us should he have any further questions about his tariff.
With regards to the street lights, there are several reasons why the City justifiably keeps some street lights on during the day. Public lights of certain City-managed roads may be kept on to deter theft of electricity and vandalism of street light and electricity infrastructure.
Street lights may also be switched on manually for maintenance purposes and to protect street light cables against physical damage by civil contractors. The control mechanism that automatically switches the lights on and off can also become faulty.
It is important for residents to remember that street lights are very efficient and of low-energy consumption. The impact of the lights burning is not as big as it might seem.
When it comes to theft and vandalism, in particular, residents should please keep in mind that the cost of keeping relatively small stretches of lights burning pales in comparison to the large amounts associated with the replacement of the same length of stolen cable and vandalised equipment.
The City is spending a considerable amount of money each year to repair and replace vital electricity infrastructure as a result of theft and vandalism. Keeping street lights on has repeatedly proved to be an effective deterrent as thieves rarely risk their lives by hacking into live wires.
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