CoCT's 2025/26 budget set to bring changes to electricity costs, water charges
As ratepayers buckle under the cost of living in the most expensive city in the country, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said that he was looking to lighten the load.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. Picture: X/Geordinhl
CAPE TOWN - Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis is promising a reprieve for cash-strapped ratepayers when he tables the city's budget for 2025/26 on Thursday.
Despite Eskom's more than eleven percent increase in the bulk electricity price to municipalities, Hill-Lewis said that city customers would only be charged an average increase of two percent.
He's also expected to table changes to how the city charges for water supply.
As ratepayers buckle under the cost of living in the most expensive city in the country, Hill-Lewis said that he was looking to lighten the load.
When he tables the city’s latest budget on Thursday, he said the council would restructure the 10 percent contribution to other service delivery, which has until now been embedded in the unit price of electricity.
This would make it possible not to pass on Eskom's full increase of 11.32 percent to consumers.
In 2018, the city caused outrage for introducing a monthly home user charge to cover the cost of maintaining the electricity network.
It's currently charged at the minimum of R281 per month and determined on property value.
On Thursday, Hill-Lewis is also expected to do away with fixed water and sanitation charges and instead levy these based on property value rather than the water connection size.
This change, the city said, was designed to bring relief to lower-income households.