Klerksdorp Record, Klerksdorp - Residents of the City of Matlosana must brace themselves for an increase in their monthly utility expenses following the council’s approval of the 2025/2026 Medium Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MTREF) last week.
The new budget, effective from July 1, introduces upward adjustments across various service tariffs, including electricity, water, sanitation, and waste removal, alongside changes to property rates.
The municipality has cited several factors influencing these increases, primarily the rising cost of bulk purchases, particularly for water and electricity. The need to ensure services are cost-reflective and to fund essential infrastructure maintenance and upgrades also played a significant role in the decision-making process.
Consumers will see a notable 12% increase in electricity tariffs (still depending on Nersa approval). This hike is attributed mainly to the increased cost of bulk electricity purchases. Basic charges will also see an increase of 4.4%.
The municipality has highlighted that consumption will continue to be billed on a sliding scale, meaning higher usage will attract higher per-unit costs. Registered indigent consumers will continue to receive 50 kWh of electricity per month free of charge.
Water tariffs are also set to climb. The basic charge for water will increase by 4.4%, and consumption charges will rise on a sliding scale up to 8%. The municipality aims for water tariffs to be fully cost-reflective, covering maintenance, purification, and network costs, while also ensuring the provision of free basic water to the poorest residents. Registered indigent households will continue to receive 6 kl of water free of charge per month.
Sanitation tariffs are scheduled to increase by 4.4% for the 2025/26 financial year.
This increase reflects the impact of higher electricity costs on the operational cost of sewer plants and the profitability of sewer services.
Waste removal tariffs will also rise, with the municipality emphasizing the need to keep the service sustainable. The increase is intended to make trading services cost-reflective. Property rates will see an increase of less than 6%. The municipality has stated that the implementation of the new valuation roll was taken into account when these tariffs were calculated.
The cumulative effect of these tariff hikes will undoubtedly be felt by Matlosana households.
For a reasonable household, the total estimated monthly bill (including basic services and rates) is projected to increase by 6.4% from approximately R3 076.72 to R3 272.84. For an indigent household receiving free basic services, the total bill (for consumption above free allocations and rates) is projected to increase by 11.0% from approximately R1 287.80 to R1 429.76, though this figure includes rates and services above the free basic services threshold.
