Eskom wants another tariff hike

cape town - state-owned utility eskom has submitted a long-awaited application for a new tariff increase to the national power regulator, the minerals and energy minister said on tuesday.

while granting a tariff hike last june, regulator nersa said at the time that electricity prices could rise by between 20 and 25 percent a year over the next three years.

but minerals and energy minister buyelwa sonjica said she did not know how much of an increase the utility was seeking.

"a proposal has been submitted by eskom ... i don't know the contents of the proposal," she told reporters at a mining conference in cape town.


"given that nersa as a regulating body is supposed to enjoy some independence it is only when i'm required to mediate that i can get a preview to the information."

nersa last june approved a total 27 percent tariff hike, short of a 53 percent hike requested by eskom.

the utility, which needs more income to help fund its r343 billion power expansion programme, said last year it would draft the application taking the difficult economic conditions and its impact on consumers into account.

eskom and nersa were not immediately available for comment. - reuters