Wentworth residents complain about exorbitant electricity bills

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Residents of Wentworth, in the south of Durban, have raised concerns about the electricity billing system in their area, citing exorbitant bills.

Many households in Wentworth live in poverty and residents struggling to pay for electricity say their high bills are a violation of their rights.

The eThekwini Metro has acknowledged the challenges raised by Wentworth residents

One resident shared her experience, saying, “I kept on going to them and they kept on telling me that, no, I have to pay this, before they make me pay so much every month, and I told them I am not working, I don’t have that amount of money, which was R30 000. I said I can’t even pay R500 so where will I get R30 000. That is what led me to go to the electricity department to ask them to please help me with installing a prepaid which they told me that if I buy tokens, there’s a percentage that they will take off to help me with my arrears. So, I agreed with that, but now I am still waiting, it’s been 2 years and they have not come.”

Another resident expressed similar frustrations, “I am waiting from last year till now, my lights are R27 000. I get a disability grant, there are people in our community who get disability grants and pensions. How do they pay, if they say pay R2 000 a month, how do you buy food? How do you live like this? No, it’s wrong, I feel it’s not right what they are doing to us.”