Activists picket outside NERSA offices for lower electricity prices

Environmental activists, demonstrating outside the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) offices in Pretoria, are calling for a decrease in electricity prices.

This came as the period for public comment on Eskom’s proposed electricity tariff increase closed on Wednesday.

It followed an admission by NERSA that a calculation error left the power utility with a funding shortfall of R76 billion.

This oversight could see a 10% hike in electricity prices for the current financial year.

A small group of activists from Earthlife Johannesburg, together with residents from Soweto, demonstrated outside the NERSA offices.

Messages on the placards they held up included “people before profit”, “electricity is a right not a priority”, and “NERSA must protect the people”.

In January last year, NERSA approved Eskom’s sixth multi-year price determination for a three-year period.

This would see an almost 6% increase in tariffs in the 2026/2027 financial year.

But the energy regulator admitted to a massive calculation error relating to the valuation of Eskom's hardware and profit allocation.

It now needs to make up the funding shortfall of R76 billion.

Earthlife programmes officer Ulrich Steenkamp said: “We are raising the issue that they are putting up the bid window over December period, most people are busy with their festive season so no one is really taking note to these things and at the end of the day it will be your average South African who is affected by these things”.

He said they would not be submitting any memorandum.