5 April 2024
Drakenstein Municipality is aware that the recent announcement of Eskom’s bulk electricity tariff increase of 12.72% might be causing some confusion among residents.
What Eskom’s announcement means, is that local authorities receiving their bulk electricity from Eskom, will be paying 12.72% more for bulk purchases from 1 July 2024.
What does this mean from consumers residing in Drakenstein?
For consumers receiving their electricity directly from Drakenstein Municipality, a tariff increase of 8.56% for the 2024/25 financial year was proposed at a Council meeting held on 27 March 2024. The Municipality will in other words subsidise 4.16% to Eskom to cover the bulk purchase price increase of 12.72%. (Please note that the Municipality’s proposed electricity tariff increase is subject to change depending on the approval of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).)
For consumers receiving their electricity directly from Eskom (Eskom Direct Consumers), an increase of 12.74% for all tariff charges, excluding the affordability subsidy charge, will be applicable from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. Eskom announced this tariff increase for Eskom Direct Consumers last week.
Consumers receiving their electricity directly from Drakenstein Municipality can give their input into the Municipality’s proposed tariff increase up till 29 April 2024.
The Municipality’s draft 2024/25 budget, budget-related policies and proposed tariffs, as well as its draft Integrated Development Plan (IDP) are now open for public comment. The public can access all these draft documents on the municipal website, www.drakenstein.gov.za. Comments must reach the Municipality by no later than 29 April 2024.
We encourage residents to participate in our draft IDP and budget public engagement process, which runs from 9 to 29 April 2024. We will be hosting 20 IDP Open Days across our 33 wards where members of the public can give their input into their own ward’s unique service delivery issues and needs. Keep an eye on our Facebook page and other communication platforms for the Open Day dates, times and venues.
Apart from the Open Days, community members can also give their input via email to idp@drakenstein.gov.za or write to the Office of the City Manager, Paarl Civic Centre, Berg River Boulevard, PO Box 1, Paarl, 7646.
Once we have received everyone’s comments, the Municipality will consider and incorporate these into the final IDP and budget, which will be tabled at the Council meeting at the end of May 2024.
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Issued by: Communication and Marketing, Drakenstein Municipality
