The public is still reeling over this year’s high increase in electricity tariffs.
And the Breederivier Municipality is very aware of the subsequent strain on their consumers.
Earlier this year Mayor Antoinette Steyn declared the municipality’s call for rationality during Nersa’s determination of the electricity tariffs which Eskom may levy on municipalities.
Unfortunately, all municipal electricity tariffs must be drafted and informed by the determination of Nersa which, for the 2023-’24 financial year, was determined at 18,49%.
To ease the burden passed to the consumer, BVM approved a 15,1% electricity tariff increase, in this way absorbing the difference of 3,39%, which will be funded through other municipal finance sources.
To fit the rising cost of electricity, the BVM has approved a Small Scale Embedded Generation Policy, which (among others) intends to encourage the use of renewable energy in the energy resources mix of BVM and provide guidelines and regulate small scale embedded generation installations in Breede Valley Municipality licensed electricity distribution area.
Additional energy saving methods for consumers to possibly implement for cost saving:
. Solar Geysers
. Load Control Devices connected for geysers, swimming pool pumps, stoves and air conditioners.
. Energy saving bulbs
. Gas Stoves/Oven
. Another way is to lower your home’s amperage.
. To further reduce costs, you can request BVM to lower your home’s amperage.
The unit price of a 20 Amp connection is more affordable than the unit price of a 30 Amp or higher connection.
For the 20 Amp connection there is also no basic charge.
When you have a 20 Amp connection you can switch on a limited number of appliances at the same time. If you switch on more, the current limiter will reach its full capacity and the installation will disconnect by tripping.
If it trips you simply switch off some of the appliances and switch on the main switch again, or if you have a prepaid meter it will take a couple of seconds to reset, and the electricity will go on again by itself.
If the power trips and you switch it on again, it does not draw extra electricity and you won’t pay more.
. It is easy to calculate how many appliances can be switched on at the same time.
If you have a 20 Amp connection, you can switch on appliances adding up to a total load of 20 Amp at the same time.
You should make sure that the Amp values of the appliances, switched on at the same time, don’t add up to more than 20 Amp when you have a 20Amp connection.
