Online petition calls on Cape Town to drop electricity prices

An online petition is calling for the City of Cape Town to reduce its electricity tariffs, as its residents struggle to make ends meet.

The petition, hosted on Change.org and spotted by IOL, calls for the Western Cape premier Alan Winde, and mayor of Cape Town Dan Plato to lower tariffs “to an affordable level for all and the recent tariff increase be withdrawn”.

“We are paying far too much for Electricity in the Cape Town Metro including the Cape Flats,” the petition adds.

Within three weeks, the petition garnered 5032 signatures from residents. And judging by many users’ responses on the petition, people are angry.

“I am tired of paying exorbitant tariffs for mismanagement of resources, our hard earned salaries, and non maintenance of units. Yet Eskom gets funded again and again only to squander more and more,” said one user.

“My family in Cape Town battles every month to pay their electricity bill. They save and switch off every plug switch that is not in use but the bill is still so high . Kettle is very seldom used water is rather boiled on the gas stove,” added another.

‘My family in Cape Town battles every month to pay their electricity bill’

“The tariff prices are inconsistent and very expensive. Additional levies on prepaid meters as an after thought is unconstitutional,” said another.

“One fed up Cape Tonian (sic),” simply stated another.

Cape Town’s electricity tariffs are notably higher than other municipalities around South Africa, as Moneyweb’s Hilton Tarrant noted.

Residents with homes valued at more than R1-million receive 166 kWh for R500, and 414 kWh for R1000. Homes valued at more than R400 000 but less than R1-million receive 218 kWh for R500, and 436 kWh for R1000.

In comparison, Johannesburg’s City Power gives users 311 kWh for R500, and 575 kWh for R1000 for those on prepaid.

eThekwini however remains the most expensive, giving residents just 105 kWh for R500.

Users are also calling on the City of Cape Town to reduce water tariffs, now that the 2017 drought is over. Dams are currently at their highest levels in four years, but the City noted it can only revise tariffs come October.

Feature image: Saya Kimura via Pexels