Joburg residents urged to register for free electricity before end of July

City Power has launched a citywide registration campaign to enrol qualifying indigent households across Johannesburg for the free basic electricity (FBE) programme. The campaign, which has been running from Tuesday till the end of July, aims to register 130,000 low-income households.

City Power said “once registered, eligible residents will receive 50kWh of electricity per month at no cost, allowing them to power essential household needs such as lighting, cooking and heating”.

To qualify, households must:

• meet the city's indigent policy criteria, which include households earning R7,503 or less per month; and
• be South African citizens or permanent residents who are legally occupying the property.

According to City Power, the initiative is part of a broader strategy to ensure inclusive access to electricity and improve customer compliance to address electricity theft and equipment damaged by overloading of the network through illegal connections and tampering.

City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava said “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.”

Once registered, beneficiaries will also be exempt from the R200 monthly electricity surcharge and will have damaged or tampered meters replaced at no cost. No penalties will be imposed during the registration period.

In addition to free electricity, registered households may qualify for other rebates from the City of Johannesburg — including support on property rates, water and refuse removal — easing the overall burden on low-income households.

To register, eligible customers must provide the following documents:

• South African ID or passport;
• proof of residence;
• City of Johannesburg rates and taxes account; and
• income verification (such as Sassa card or affidavit).

“This project is also critical part of city power's wider effort to bring more than 140,000 non-vending customers back into the culture of paying for services,” said City Power.

Where to register for the FBE programme:

• at community-based pop-up registration stations, malls, taxi rank, churches and Sassa pay points; or
• through City Power-led door-to-door campaigns and imbizos.

“if you qualify, register and receive free basic electricity,” said Mashava.  

“If you can afford to pay and refuse, we will begin a mass initiative where we will be removing our meters and other equipment.”

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