More electricity price shocks
SOUTH Africa is saving only half as much energy as it needs to if it is to avoid a new round of widespread power cuts.
Minister of Public Enterprises Alec Erwin issued this warning yesterday and said South Africa faced more electricity price shocks.
“The only way to prevent continued pressure on the system over the next three, four years is energy efficiency,” Erwin told a breakfast meeting in Cape Town.
Erwin said South Africa needed to cut energy consumption by 10 percent, but “currently we’re saving roughly 4 percent to 5 percent, so there’s more work to be done”.
He said South Africa faced further sharp increases in the price of electricity, and ruled out large-scale state energy subsidies.
“We’re going to have to increase prices again over the next three or four years,” Erwin said. He added that the basic wholesale price would have to be doubled.
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