Only about 485,000 households are currently registered and receiving the benefit.
Image: GCIS
Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has revealed that about 1.6 million financially embattled households that qualify for Free Basic Electricity are not receiving the benefit.
The minister disclosed this in a written reply to a parliamentary question, saying that approximately 2.1 million households in Eskom supply areas qualify for the programme. However, only about 485,000 households are currently registered and receiving the benefit.
"The Department of Electricity and Energy confirms that a significant number of indigent households that qualify for Free Basic Electricity (FBE) are not yet receiving the benefit," the minister said.
"Based on verified information from Eskom and government programmes, approximately 2.1 million households in Eskom supply areas qualify for Free Basic Electricity in terms of the national indigent policy framework. Of these, only about 485,000 households are currently registered and receiving the FBE benefit. This indicates that approximately 1.6 million qualifying indigent households in Eskom supply areas are not yet receiving Free Basic Electricity."
The minister added, "In municipal supply areas, the position varies across municipalities, as indigent registers are compiled and administered at municipal level in line with the national Free Basic Services policy."
While most municipalities provide Free Basic Electricity to registered indigent households, Ramokgopa said challenges such as incomplete indigent registers, verification constraints, capacity limitations and funding pressures continue to affect the programme's reach.
"The Department is addressing this challenge through coordinated interventions with Eskom, municipalities and relevant government departments. A key enabling measure is Eskom's accelerated rollout of smart meters, which materially strengthens the ability to identify, register and support qualifying indigent households in a targeted and verifiable manner.
"Eskom has already installed more than 800,000 smart meters and plans to install approximately 6.2 million smart meters over the next three years. This rollout prioritises areas affected by load reduction and high non-technical losses, many of which overlap with poor and rural communities."
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