PRETORIA, South Africa, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Electricity prices in South Africa are about to increase dramatically.
Business Report reported Thursday that while South Africa's electric public utility Eskom supplies the majority of the country's electricity, most of South Africa's 12 million customers get their electricity from municipalities and local governments, with the two major categories of users being industrial and residential consumers.
Based on National Energy Regulator of SA Web site Eskom price data from on 51 municipalities and eight different residential prices from Eskom, an average price, assuming consumption of 800 kilowatt-hours a month and including taxes and network charges, the average price for residences is about 11 cents per kilowatt hour.
The 11 cents a kWh average price places South African prices close to the middle of global 2008-2009 electricity tariffs.
The situation is about to change, however, as a proposed 35 percent price hike for each of the next three years, with a further approximately 12 percent for years four and five, will make subsequently make South African residential prices among the most expensive in the world.
