Residents who have solar systems up to 50Kva have until March 31 to register their residential and business solar PV or other small scale embedded generation (SSEG) systems to meet the legal requirement to register with the electricity service provider. However, the decision has drawn criticism from ratepayers and residents’ associations, who question why households were charged connection and smart meter fees for residential solar systems, reports theSouthlands Sun. According to a statementfromEskom, the vast majority of residential systems are under 50kVA.
All registration and connection fees of up to R10 000, including a free smart meter, are waived until March 31. “If Eskom is indeed waiving registration fees with a potential saving of up to around R10 000 per household, then the first question the public should ask is: Why were ordinary South Africans being charged these fees in the first place?” said chairperson of Bluff Ratepayers and Residents Association in KZN Allison Schoeman. Schoeman said for many households, rooftop solar is not a luxury, rather a necessity born out of Eskom’s failure to provide reliable electricity.
“People have been forced to invest their own money into alternative power purely to keep their homes functioning and to protect their livelihoods,” she added. “In principle, regulation is necessary for safety, grid integrity and responsible electricity management. However, what cannot be justified is the creation of cost barriers that effectively punish citizens for trying to solve a crisis they did not create,” said Schoeman.
Read Full Article on The Witness
[paywall]
“It is particularly concerning where consumers are charged ‘registration’ and ‘connection’ fees in circumstances where they are not increasing demand on the grid, and in fact are reducing reliance on Eskom through self-generation,” said she. “I would, however, want to investigate further and understand the operational details, including who supplies the smart meters, how procurement is managed, and whether any third-party service providers benefit financially from these requirements. Transparency around this is essential,” said Schoeman.
She said Eskom’s decision to waive these fees shows that the charges were unfair and consumers had little power to change them. “The reality is most residents cannot afford litigation, and so they simply absorb the costs and accept what they are told, even when it feels unfair or irrational. South Africans have been subjected to years of hardship and sacrifice. It is frankly despicable that while households fight to keep the lights on, the public continues to watch billions drained through corruption, mismanagement and political greed,” added Schoeman.
[/paywall]
