Power to the People: City Power Extends Free Electricity Registration to End of 2025

Johannesburg residents still have time to benefit and here’s how to sign up

Thousands of Joburg residents are already saving on electricity, and now even more people have a chance to do the same. City Power has extended its Free Basic Electricity (FBE) registration campaign until 31 December 2025, giving low-income households extra time to access 50 kWh of electricity for free every month.

That’s not all. Registered users will also be exempt from the R200 monthly surcharge, which includes a R70 service fee and a R130 network capacity charge. For many struggling to make ends meet, this is more than a relief, it’s a lifeline.

Demand Grows and So Does Access

Since City Power launched the initiative in June, 10 000 households have successfully signed up. Now, with the goal of reaching 130 000 qualifying residents, the programme has been expanded to cover informal settlements and areas supplied by Eskom, not just City Power.

“This is about equity,” said City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena. “We want to ensure that no one who qualifies is left behind. That includes pensioners, unemployed individuals, child-headed households, and anyone earning below R7 503.01 per month.”

Social media reaction has been largely positive, with many Johannesburg residents praising the initiative as a rare example of local government acting in favour of the poor. But others have expressed frustration over lack of awareness, difficulty accessing documents, and confusion over eligibility.

Why It Matters

While the offer of 50 free kWh might sound modest, it’s enough to run essential appliances like lights, a fridge, and a few other basics for a month. In communities battling high food prices and unemployment, that can make a real difference.

Illegal connections and tampered meters are also a major concern in many areas. This initiative aims to tackle that head-on, by offering free meter replacements for a limited time as part of a citywide audit and meter “normalisation” campaign.

But there’s a warning, too: City Power has confirmed that it will not respond to outage complaints from residents who do not have a working meter or who have tampered with theirs. And there’s a stiff penalty, R14 000, if you’re caught with a bypassed meter in a single-phase household.

Where and How to Register

If you’re eligible, here’s what you need to do:

• Visit your nearest City Power Service Delivery Centre (SDC) or pop-up site. These are being rolled out across malls, taxi ranks, community halls, and other local hotspots.

• Bring your:

  • ID Document

  • City Power prepaid meter number

  • Proof of income or SASSA grant slip

  • Three months’ bank statements

  • Proof of residence (City of Joburg municipal account, if you have one)

Prefer to register online? The application form is also available at www.citypower.co.za/home.

This initiative isn’t just about electricity, it’s about dignity, access, and bridging the service gap in one of South Africa’s most unequal cities. City Power is using the campaign to promote legal, safe connections and reduce the dangerous, overloaded informal setups that plague many neighbourhoods.

If successful, this could become a model for other metros facing similar infrastructure and affordability challenges. And for the thousands of families in Johannesburg who qualify, it’s a welcome step toward something South Africans have been demanding for decades, energy justice.

So, if you or someone you know qualifies, don’t wait. Power is a right, not a privilege.

{Source: The Citizen}

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