City Power will start implementing a residential “time-of-use” tariff system that will allow the utility to charge different rates during the day.
The new system will encourage electricity consumption during off peak hours in order to reduce the cost of supply and to lessen pressure on the national grid.
The system is designed to reward users who use electricity sparingly.
The system has been approved by the National Electricity Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) and will take effect from July 1.
Sicelo Xulu, the managing director for City Power, said, “City Power’s introduction of a time-based system is informed by its commitment to provide services to its hard-pressed consumers by incentivising and rewarding them for changing their usage patterns, while at the same time ensuring security of supply by lessening the pressure on the grid.”
He went on to say that load shedding is “a fact of life” that the public has to deal with for the time being. “We need to explore any conceivable solutions to ensure that we keep the lights on,” Xulu said.
