The City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ’s) electricity utility City Power has called on all qualifying indigent households across Johannesburg to register for the free basic electricity (FBE) programme – an initiative that aims to provide eligible customers with free electricity units each month.

The initiative forms part of City Power’s broader strategy to ensure inclusive access to electricity and improve customer compliance to address electricity theft and equipment damage caused by overloading of the network through illegal connections and tampering.

The registration drive will run from June 27 to July 31, with a target of registering 130 000 indigent customers. Once registered, eligible residents will receive 50 kWh of electricity a month at no cost, allowing them to power essential household needs such as lighting, cooking and heating.

“Access to electricity is not a luxury, but a key feature required to support social and economic upliftment. This programme is not just about addressing the high levels of meter tampering and illegal connections. It’s about restoring dignity by ensuring that there's greater access,” City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava says.

City Power says the registration drive is part of wider efforts to bring more than 140 000 non-vending customers back into the culture of paying for services. Many of these customers consume electricity without paying, resulting in massive revenue losses for the utility and the destruction of infrastructure.

“The FBE programme is designed to cushion the most vulnerable and ensures access to electricity as a basic human right, while also helping to clean up the billing and compliance environment,” the utility says.

Beneficiaries of this programme will not only receive free basic electricity but will also be exempted from paying the R200 monthly surcharge.

In addition, if a meter has been damaged, bypassed or tampered with, it will be replaced free of charge, with no penalties to be imposed at this time.

Moreover, registered beneficiaries will be considered for other CoJ rebates, including indigent support on property rates, water and refuse removal, easing the overall burden on low-income households.

To qualify, households must meet the city's indigent policy criteria, which includes being unemployed or having a monthly income not exceeding R7 503.01 a month.

Qualifying applicants must also be South African citizens or permanent residents and must be the legal occupants of the property in question.

Supporting documentation such as a valid ID, proof of residence, CoJ rates and taxes account and income verification will be required at registration. Beneficiaries include senior citizens, unemployed persons, women and children, child-headed households and persons with disabilities.

“There is now no excuse. If you qualify, register and receive free basic electricity. If you can afford to pay and refuse, we will begin a mass disconnection initiative where we will be removing our meters and other equipment,” Mashava asserts.

The initiative comes as City Power is battling a low rate of revenue collection, which has been flagged in the Auditor-General’s most recent report.

The rollout of the FBE programme, combined with robust enforcement and customer engagement, forms a key part of City Power’s response to these findings and its drive to stabilise the utility’s finances.

REGISTRATION

Eligible customers can register at community-based pop-up registration stations, malls, taxi ranks, churches and South African Social Security Agency paypoints, as well as through City Power-led door-to-door campaigns and imbizos.

City Power teams will also be available to engage with members of the public at community pop-up stands, taxi ranks, malls, schools and churches.

"This programme is about equity, accountability and financial sustainability. With your cooperation, we can ensure no household is unfairly disconnected and no customer abuses the system to the detriment of others," Mashava says.