With the recent increase in metro tariffs, the municipality has explained how you can keep your electricity costs low.
On July 1, the metro increased the price of electricity by 13.07 per cent.
There are two different tariff blocks a residential customer can fall into.
The first is tariff A, where the price increases the more electricity you use.
Residents in tariff A get 100 free units per month and are encouraged to use less than 700 units per month.
Both prepaid and post-paid customers can be in tariff A.
As illustrated in Table 1, you can see how electricity becomes more expensive the more you use.
That is why residents often feel as though the more electricity they buy, the less they get for the same amount of money.
Tariff B is for residents who use more than 700 units per month or those who stay in complexes, such as an estate or a block of flats or townhouses.
With this tariff, there is a fixed charge of R2.17 per unit regardless of how much electricity you use and there is an admin cost of R46.62 for post-paid customers and R13.89 for prepaid customers.
Residents in this tariff do not get 100 free units per month.
In Table 2, you can see that electricity costs remain the same regardless of the amount of electricity you use.
In Table 3, you can clearly see how, if you use more than 700 units of electricity per month, tariff A is more expensive.
Residents can change from one tariff group to another once a year, and once the change has been made, the resident must stay on that tariff group for at least 12 months.
Prices remain the same for the entire financial year in each tariff group.
There is no winter tariff for residential customers.
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Customer services manager in the energy department, which also services Nigel, Gift Sefatsa explained that the metro has the different tariff groups to encourage residents to use less than 700 units per month.
“In tariff A, the metro has taken care to ensure everyone starts on the same level on 100 units per month.
“This was done to help the indigent, pensioners and those who do not use a lot of electricity.
“You can get your free units by just coming to our customer care desk in the department on First Avenue and giving the lady at the front desk your meter number and you will get your free units.
“The free units can be collected at any time of the month, but residents must note the free units do not roll over to the next if unclaimed,” says Sefatsa.
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Sefatsa went on to say customers can visit their customer service desk if they have any questions.
For Springs enquiries or complaints, call 011 999 8520 or 011 811 2290 and insist on getting a reference number.
Alternatively, email Sefatsa at gift.sefatsa@ekurhuleni.gov.za
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