Electricity Tariff Hikes Might Lead To Illegal Connections: Salga

The SA Local Government Association SALGA has warned that the recently approved electricity tariff increases might lead to illegal connections in different communities.

The National Energy Regulator NERSA has approved Eskoms 12.74 tariff increase for direct customers and 11.32 for municipalities.

The increase for direct customers will take effect on April 1, while the increase for municipal customers will be implemented on July 1.

SALGAs Head of Energy and Electricity, Nhlanhla Ngidi, says struggling consumers might resort to illicit means to access power.

Every time there are these increases, there are challenges that arise and those challenges some of them become more like vandalism that increases exponentially. People trying to connect themselves because they dont have money now to actually pay for electricity. Ive got a few examples where in various townships where people are actually now creating their own unsafe networks, connecting themselves illegally. That indicates a mix of the economic issues that we have in the country and its really now showing on the ground where municipalities are really struggling.