LISTEN | EXPLAINER: City Power says R200 monthly extra fee is for 'fairness'

It is unfair for post-paying customers to pay a service fee while prepaid customers are excused, says City Power after imposing a R200 monthly fee for residents.

Listen to City Power explain in detail the charge and how it works:

The order received backlash from the public amid tough economic times.

Why is the R200 tariff being imposed?

City Power’s Isaac Mangena said: “City Power buys electricity from Kelvin [power station] and Eskom and it's put through the transmission lines to our substations and from our substations through the transmission lines to the many substations, the green boxes by the corner outside our houses. From there it goes straight to the wall of our houses.” 

Mangena said money is needed to convey power from the source to customers and in the past only post-paying customers were paying for this, which was unfair.

The electricity fee, effective from July 1, is unavoidable for qualifying clients.

“The R200 is a monthly charge and can carry over to the next month should the customer purchase units that are less than R200.” 

Customers who earn less than R6,000 a month are excused from the fee. Mangena urged these customers and those with financial challenges to approach their nearest service delivery centre or City Power Johannesburg regional walk-in centres. 

The Johannesburg city council voted in favour of the charge being implemented in May.

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