BRACKENFELL
WINNER BEST
FREE NEWSPAPER IN SA
Venice Incliner + latch
- Fabric : Techno Nubuk
R2
80 only
999
Valid @ all branches until Sunday y 23 2 July 2017 - While stocks last
BELLVILLE - 021 944 3330 BE
Woensdag, 12 Julie 2017 | Tel: 021 910 6500 | epos: nuus@tygerburger.co.za
@TygerBurger
E&OE
TygerBurger
Queen for a Day Gretchen de Waal (12) from Tafelsig was treated like a queen during Reach For A Dream’s Queen for a Day event held for children with lifethreatening illnesses in Bellville last week. Here she is with Brackenfell’s Diane Nel, Mrs Mzantzi Africa 2017. Story and more pictures on page 8. PHOTO: NIELEN DE KLERK
FROM LIFELINE TARIFF TO DOMESTIC TARIFF: ELECTRICITY BILLS DOUBLE
Electricity shock DESIRÉE RORKE @dezzierorke
T
housands of Capetonians got the shock of their lives when they bought their prepaid electricity this month, with a bill nearly double what they used to pay. A single mother from Brackenfell, who prefers not to be named in the newspaper, now pays R1.96 per unit, where she previously paid only R1.16. She is one of 40 000 residents Citywide who were moved from the Lifeline Tariff to the
Domestic Tariff on 1 July, all of whom will now have to cough up some 80% more for prepaid electricity. Johan van der Merwe, Mayco member for finance, says this move was the final phase of the migration to the Domestic Tariff, which has been underway for the past few years. “From this point forward only households with a municipal property of less than R400 000, together with a consumption of less than 450kWh per month on average and with a prepaid meter, will qualify for subsidisation
via the Lifeline Tariff,” he says On the Lifeline Tariff, users using less than 350kWh per month, like the aforementioned single mother, paid R1.16 per unit, and R2.34 per unit only once they crossed the 350kWH limit. On the Domestic Tariff, such users will now pay R1.93 per unit if using less than 600kWh per month, and R2.34 per unit if using more. But those affected say they feel cheated. “Being a single-parent family our electricity very seldom exceeds 350kWh, but yet I will now have to fork out nearly R800 a
month,” says the resident. Although she complies with the two last requirements (less than 359kWh and prepaid meter), the property she rents falls over the R400 000 limit and thus automatically falls within the Domestic Tariff. “Only customers who are in receipt of a pensioner’s or disabled person’s rates rebate will still be able to apply for the Lifeline Tariff irrespective of their property valuation, provided their average monthly consumption is less than 450kWh.” V To page 2.