Free Power, Fair Future: Joburg’s Electricity Lifeline for Struggling Households

City Power’s new campaign blends dignity, accountability, and survival in a tough economy

If you’ve ever sat in the dark in the middle of a cold Johannesburg night, unsure whether to boil water or keep the lights on, you’ll understand just how crucial even 50kWh of electricity can be. Now, City Power is taking a bold step to bring some warmth and fairness back to Joburg homes battling poverty and rising living costs.

From June 17 to July 31, 2025, City Power is rolling out a citywide registration drive that could give qualifying residents 50kWh of electricity each month, completely free. But this isn’t just a giveaway. It’s part of a larger push to reconnect people, literally and financially, to the city’s energy system.

Why this matters now

Johannesburg has long struggled with a growing number of households using electricity without paying for it—some due to desperation, others due to illegal connections. City Power says over 140,000 “non-vending” customers are effectively off the grid, bypassing meters, damaging infrastructure, and racking up enormous revenue losses.

Tshifularo Mashava, City Power’s CEO, was blunt at the programme’s launch: “Access to electricity is not a luxury. It’s essential for dignity and development.”

This isn’t just a billing issue. It’s a social contract issue. And it’s why City Power has designed this programme as a two-way street: help for those who need it most, and consequences for those who can pay but don’t.

Who qualifies? Let’s break it down

If you’re a Joburg resident struggling to make ends meet, you may be eligible. Here’s what City Power is looking for:

• You must be a South African citizen or permanent resident living legally on your property.

• Your total household income must be R7,503.01 or less per month.

• You’ll need to show valid ID, proof of residence, your City of Johannesburg municipal account, and evidence of income (such as a SASSA card or affidavit).

This programme is designed with the city’s most vulnerable in mind—senior citizens, child-headed households, the unemployed, women, people living with disabilities. For once, they’re not just an afterthought in city policy.

What else do you get besides free electricity?

Quite a bit, actually. Qualifying households will also be:

• Exempt from the R200 monthly City Power surcharge

• Eligible for municipal rebates on property rates, water, and refuse removal

• Offered free meter replacement, even for tampered or damaged meters—no questions asked, no penalties

This last point is big. For thousands of families who’ve been forced to take risky or illegal routes just to get power, the amnesty offers a clean slate. It’s an olive branch in a system that often feels rigged against the poor.

Where and how to register

City Power’s teams will be everywhere: taxi ranks, SASSA queues, shopping malls, even churches. Pop-up registration stations and door-to-door visits are planned, along with community imbizos (meetings) where residents can get help in multiple languages.

Isaac Mangena, the utility’s spokesperson, stressed that this is more than a campaign—it’s a cultural shift. “We want to meet people where they are, in their language, in their context,” he said.

Making the numbers work

The free electricity programme isn’t just a lifeline for the poor, it’s also a lifeline for City Power itself.

The Auditor-General recently flagged the utility’s dangerously low revenue collection rates. By bringing unregistered users back into the system and cutting down on tampering, the utility hopes to balance its books while restoring public trust.

Mashava isn’t sugar-coating the stakes. “There’s now no excuse,” she said. “If you qualify, register and receive your support. If you don’t and you’re stealing electricity, we will disconnect you.”

City Power will be launching a mass disconnection campaign for non-compliant customers once the registration window closes. It’s a firm stance, but one backed by months of outreach and new support systems.

A community-first future

Johannesburg has no shortage of challenges. But in a city of stark inequality, programmes like this one signal a more thoughtful approach to service delivery, one that recognises lived realities instead of pretending they don’t exist.

The early reactions on social media have been largely positive. Many residents have praised the campaign as a “step in the right direction,” with others asking for similar support in housing, transport, and food security.

Others, however, are calling for stronger safeguards to ensure only those who genuinely qualify benefit, worried that the same corrupt networks that exploit social grants may now target free electricity.

City Power says it’s ready. And this time, it’s banking not just on enforcement, but on community cooperation to make the plan work.

For once, Johannesburg isn’t just switching off the power to punish, it’s switching it on to rebuild.

Winter Chill Sparks Power Strain: City Power Urges Johannesburg to Conserve Energy

{Source: The Citizen}

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