CITY POWER is calling on all qualifying indigent households across Johannesburg to come forward and register for the Free Basic Electricity (FBE) programme.
This important initiative aims to provide eligible customers with free electricity units each month, as part of City Power’s broader strategy to ensure inclusive access to electricity and improve customer compliance to address electricity theft and equipment damage caused by overloading of the network through illegal connections and tampering.
The registration drive will run from 17 June to 31 July 2025, with a target of registering 130,000 indigent customers. Once registered, eligible residents will receive 50kWh of electricity per month at no cost, allowing them to power essential household needs such as lighting, cooking, and heating.
“Access to electricity is not a luxury, but a key feature required to support social and economic upliftment. This programme is not just about addressing the high levels of meter tampering and illegal connections; it’s about restoring dignity by ensuring that there’s greater access,” said City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava.
This project is also a critical part of City Power’s wider efforts to bring more than 140,000 non-vending customers back onto the culture of paying for services. Many of these customers are consuming electricity without paying, resulting in massive revenue losses for the utility and the increasing destruction of our infrastructure.
The FBE programme is designed to cushion the most vulnerable and ensures access to electricity as a basic human right, while also helping to clean up the billing and compliance environment.
Beneficiaries of this programme will not only receive free basic electricity but will also be exempted from paying R200 monthly surcharge.
In addition, if your meter has been damaged, bypassed or tampered with, it will be replaced free of charge, and for now, no penalties will be imposed. Registered beneficiaries will also be considered for other City of Johannesburg rebates, including indigent support on property rates, water, and refuse removal, easing the overall burden on low-income households.
To qualify, households must meet the City’s indigent policy criteria, which includes being unemployed or have a monthly income not exceeding R7,503.01 per month (all incomes must be declared).
The qualifying amount to access the ESP changes annually.
The criteria also includes being a South African citizens or permanent residents and being the legal occupants of the property in question.
Supporting documentation such as a valid ID, proof of residence, COJ rates and Taxes Account, and income verification (such as a SASSA card or affidavit) will be required at registration.
The beneficiaries include senior citizens, unemployed persons, women and children, child headed households and persons with disabilities.
“There is now no excuse. If you qualify, register and receive free basic electricity. If you can afford to pay and refuse, we will begin a mass disconnection initiative where we will be removing our meters and other equipment,” said Mashava.
This initiative comes as City Power battles a low rate of revenue collection, which has been flagged in the Auditor-General’s recent report. The rollout of the FBE programme, combined with robust enforcement and customer engagement, forms a key part of City Power’s response to these findings and our drive to stabilise the utility’s finances.
How to Register for FBE programme:
Customers can register:
At community-based pop-up registration stations, malls, taxi ranks, churches, and SASSA pay points, through City Power-led door-to-door campaigns and Imbizos to ensure that no eligible customer is left behind.
City Power will go to great lengths to provide registration information and support widely.
Teams will also be available to engage with communities at pop-up stands, taxi ranks, malls, schools, and churches. This information will be shared during the ongoing imbizos as well.
These efforts reflect ‘our commitment’ to making registration easy, accessible, and available in multiple languages through various platforms – both physical and digital.
“This programme is about equity, accountability, and financial sustainability. With your cooperation, we can ensure no household is unfairly disconnected and no customer abuses the system to the detriment of others,” said the CEO.
Image (City Power CEO- Tshifularo Mashava).
