1. Presentation – Parliament Portfolio Committee Date: 9th March 2005

2. Experiences of Communities - Electricity Access & Affordability for basic needs

3. Nkosana Rakitla Sustainable Energy & Climate Change Project

4. Where do I come from?
Daveyton a township, in Ekurhuleni Metro , East Rand Gauteng.
Informal Settlements – 7 sections
RDP house
Four roomed/match houses

5. My personal experience - Access
Lack of access to safe electricity lead people to
People use candles for lighting
People use paraffin for cooking and lighting
People use brazens (make shift stoves) for heat and cooking
Coal stoves
Winter – burn tyres for heating
High dependence – on wood for cooking & heat

6. negative impacts Paraffin accidents – burning of informal settlements
Candle relate accidents – burnt children & burning of informal settlement
Coal & tyres in winter - excessive air pollution
Deforestation – targeting trees at side of road, golf course and parks

7. Affordability

8. Affordability
Most families on the ground are families of six – seven & upwards
On basic income grants
Pension
Minimum wage
Most are unemployed

9. Unaffordability of electricity
Electricity take a large proportion of our income
Increasing debts
Electricity cut offs

10. Impacts of debt & cuts off
Unrest between councilors and communities
Illegal connections
Illegal reconnections
Increasing demand for paraffin, coal, wood and burning tyres

11. Experience doing outreach work with schools
people don’t know where electricity comes from & cost of producing electricity
Distribution regulation
Transmission Policy
Generation pollution

12. Most important They don’t know about energy efficiency
They don’t feel part the of decision making process

13. Stepped Block Tariff for Residential Use
Note: a different fee structure would be developed for business, with special rates for SMMEs
The initial block of electricity is charged at a lower rate, become more expensive the more that is used.
Block 4
500 – 1000 kilowatt hours
40c per Kw/H
Block 3
201 – 500 kilowatt hours
35c per kW/H
Block 2
51 – 200 kilowatt hours
20c per kW/h
Block 1
1 –50 kW/h
free

14. Benefits of Stepped Block
Encourage efficient use electricity
Conservation of electricity.

15. Free Basic Electricity addressing access and affordability
FEB should be provided on a per person basis instead of per household.

16. Awareness & Education Energy Efficiency Energy conservation
Public participation