Electricity Usage

Electricity Usage

Currently in Monwabisi Park, people are using unsafe, inefficient and unhealthful paraffin stoves instead of electric stoves to cook because access to electricity is limited and it is expensive.   Anywhere from two to eight households can share the same power line which leads to shortages.  This means that the electricity supplied to the settlement is unreliable, especially since homes can be without power for up to a month (Kehrer et al., 2008).  In a study done by Annecke in 2005, it was shown that in Khayelitsha about twenty percent of one’s monthly income is spent on energy, where anything above ten percent is defined as energy poverty (State of Energy Report, 2007).  It is clear that the residents of Monwabisi Park are, by definition, living in energy poverty, which raises major concerns.  During interviews in the community, various residents informed us that while they have electricity, they use gas or paraffin to cook in order to save electricity for their other appliances.  While the government does supply 50 units of electricity free every month, it could only last two weeks if using an electric stove, whereas if a different source is used for cooking, it could last a month.

Eskom, the principal provider of electricity in South Africa, has promised to provide Mowabisi Park expanded electricity for a number of years now, yet they have never made good on their promise. In a personal interview with our sponsors Cindy Jacobs and Jacques du Toit, we learned that the price of electricity is expected to increase almost 50% within the next year.  This will make it even harder for residents of informal settlements to obtain electricity.