Eskom is protected at the expense of consumers, while scrutiny of the tiny details detracts from the utility’s bankruptcy
Beleaguered Eskom is once again looking to the National Energy Regulator of SA (NERSA) to increase the price of electricity. This time it is via a mechanism called the Regulatory Clearing Account (RCA), which allows Eskom to apply for future tariff hikes based on what happened in the past.
In its current application the cumulative difference between prior forecasts and actual outcomes is R27.3bn. Eskom is now asking to recoup all of this money from customers, and NERSA must decide how much of this amount is a legitimate claim under the RCA and how much is based on prudently incurred costs. The public hearings kicked off in Cape Town on February 3 and ended on February 24.
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