The spokesperson of the Makhado Municipality stated last week that there is “no overcharge” in the municipality’s electricity tariffs.

The question whether the municipality was overcharging the ratepayers came to the fore when the Soutpansberg Ratepayers Association obtained a document from the website of the national energy regulator, NERSA. The document was titled “tariffs approved and applicable for implementation from 1 July 2009” for Makhado Municipality. According to the ratepayers, electricity accounts of all ratepayers have been overcharged.

The spokesperson, Mr Louis Bobodi, presented pages with tariffs for several financial years, on which he based his statement on May 3 that there has been no overcharge.

The SRPA Chairperson, Mr Frans Prinsloo, mentioned the discrepancy in electricity charges to the municipal manager, Mr Shadrack Tshikalange.

“The municipality is looking at this matter and residents will be informed in due course. This matter will definitely be addressed in week or two,” said Thsikalange on May 4.

Prinsloo pointed out that even if the municipality’s own provided figures were the correct ones, commercial conventional tariffs were still overcharged. NERSA sent out a price increase guideline for municipalities on February 24 this year.  

“An annual guideline increase of 15.33% for 2010/11 and indicative guideline increase of 16.03% for 2011/12 and 16.16% for 2010/13 for municipalities has been determined by NERSA … NERSA calculated a claw back, based on the assumption that municipalities increased their tariffs by 34% last year,” states the letter.

The Makhado Municipality increased their electricity tariffs by 32.5% from 2007/8 to 2008/9. The increase from 2008/9 to 2009/10 was 25% and the increase for the next financial year is to be 24.35%.That means that in 2010/11 the domestic high tariff will be R91.40 for the basic energy charge and 65.27cent per kWh.

Domestic users paid 31.68c for their energy in 2007/8, then 42c the next financial year, and are currently paying 52,5c.

Commercial conventional will be charged R384.30 basic charge in 2010/11 and 67.88cent energy charge. Commercial conventional payers have already been paying R428.75 in 2009.

The major discrepancies still remain to be resolved.