Prepare for a 7 per cent increase on your monthly bill
JOBURG – The increase will start from 1 July.
As the current financial year comes to a close, the 1st of July, along with its tariff increases, looms.
The new financial year’s budget, which starts on 1 July, approved by the city council earlier this year after Finance MMC, Dr Rabelani Dagada’s first budget speech, revealed an overall increase of about 6 to 7 per cent on monthly household bills.
Ward 117 councillor Tim Truluck said some rates have gone up quite a bit.
“Notably the water tariffs which increased from 6 per cent for low water use to 20 per cent for high water use,” he said.
Increases to electricity will be 2.28 per cent, refuse removal sees an increase of 6.1 per cent and property rates will increase by 6.2 per cent. Water, sewage and sanitation services will see a 12.2 per cent increase.
Dagada said it was important to note that 10.2 per cent of this (water, sewage and sanitation) was directly passed on to the City by Rand Water, leaving the City with a marginal 2 per cent to cover their operational costs.
Residents will no longer receive their first 6 000 litres (kl) of water free meaning their bills will increase by about R48.
This decision did not come as a surprise. Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba previously announced that from 1 July, only indigent households would receive free water while non-indigent households would pay for all of their water. The new changes will allow for indigent households to receive between 10kl and 15kl of free water depending on their score on the City of Johannesburg’s Poverty Index.
Truluck also mentioned that in the past, there have been glitches when the new charges were implemented.
“Let’s hope this year the changeover is smooth,” he said.
You can check your monthly account on the City’s website (www.joburg.org.za) and click on e-services. Follow the steps to register online and you can view your account details anytime.
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