As homeowners, it is of the utmost importance to keep you informed and up to date with all the upcoming increases on your utilities which will be implemented by Council as of the 1st of July 2024.

The various tariffs for the municipal services offered throughout the city of Ekurhuleni has been listed on their Tariff Register. Tariffs are amended by Council and updated accordingly, once approved at the yearly council budget meeting. This is then implemented in terms of the relevant legislation. The legislation which is relevant to City of Ekurhuleni allows for the tariffs to be increased as of the 1st of July each year.

There are currently five (5) different tariff increases which will affect each of you as homeowners within a community scheme. These are listed as the following:

• ELECTRICITY: The increase on electrical tariffs which relate mainly to tariff B – is broken down below for you, any owners who have third part pre-paid supplied, will need to obtain any increase information from their suppliers.
• WATER: The increase on water is broken down below for you.
• SANITATION / SEWERAGE: The increase on sewer is broken down below for you.
• WASTE MANAGEMENT / REFUSE REMOVAL: The increase in refuse removal is provided below for you.
• PROPERTY RATES AND TAXES: This is the responsibility of each individual owner.

ELECTRICAL TARIFF INCREASES FOR THE 2024/2025 FINANCIAL YEAR:

Majority of the community schemes are registered under the council tariff B electrical structure. This is the standard resident rate for the supply of electricity.

It has thus been confirmed that the new rate per unit of electricity consumed will increase to the rand value of R 3.69 inclusive of VAT.

We understand that there are many areas of frustration when it comes to the electrical supply in South Africa at the current moment. Therefore, we have decided to assist you as our valued clients with providing you with some cost saving tips on electricity, with the oncoming 18.6% increase in electricity, which was approved by NERSA, we need to consider ways to reducing the consumption.

Considering that inflation increases every second month, normal household and the average person is struggling daily to keep head above water. Below we have listed some suggestions to guide electricity consumption in your household:

• Switch off appliances at the wall and plug out unused charges and appliances.
• Bring food to a boil, then place a hot pot in an insulation cooker to cut unnecessary use of power.
• Ensure all sockets & plugs are switched off when leaving the house.
• Set your pool pump to run for fewer hours.
• Use gas for cooking if possible.
• Insulate your ceiling to avoid use of heaters in winter.
• Make sure your geysers are wrapped in geyser blankets.
• Turn the geyser temperatures down to 60 degrees Celsius.
• Buy energy-efficient light bulbs.
• Use cold water when using your washing machine.
• Install solar where possible.

APPLIANCES THAT USE THE MOST ELECTRICITY:

Always aim to use the below appliances sparingly as they use the most electrical current within your households:

• Dishwashers
• Induction Stoves
• Washing Machines
• Geysers
• Kettles
• Element based appliances

THE NEW TARIFFS FOR 2024/2025 WATER CHARGES

Once month readings are taken at the complex, the necessary consumption is calculated between the start and end date. The consumption is then put through the scale on the right and charged according to your usage.

It is important to remember that the prices listed on the tariff structure are inclusive of VAT, and that should your community scheme not have individual water meters, nor have the water recovered through your monthly levy, that the water recovery charges would then be charged in accordance with your units PQ (Participation Quota) meaning the size of your units.

THE TARIFF RATE FOR THE SUPPLY OF WATER HAS INCREASED AS PER THE BELOW TABLE:

SANITATION AND SEWERAGE CHARGES:

Charges for Sanitation and Sewerage usage is calculated according to the percentage of water that has been discharged.

This is also calculated on a sliding scale, and if not calculated and covered under your scheme’s monthly levies, then this would be charged either in accordance with your PQ (Participation Quota) should you not have individual water meters installed, alternatively this is calculated in accordance with your water readings and consumption utilised monthly.

It is important to note that the sliding scale pertaining to the sewerage is done in a declining sliding scale.

REFUSE REMOVAL

Charges for refuse removal are based on the volume of refuse that is removed (container size) per week. The City of Ekurhuleni reserves the right to determine the type of service, (the minimum) number of containers and frequency of service per area. The new tariffs are herewith listed below:

Rate per bin removal: R256.31 per bin

SUGGESTIONS TO REDUCE YOUR WATER USAGE AT HOME:

Understanding that these increases come at a terrible time annually for all owners and residents, and with not having any control of the imposed increases which have been implemented by council, we thought to suggest some methods for you to possibly save some money in relation to your water consumption at home.

We all know that water is an essential part of life. We need it daily to live and perform vital bodily functions. Plants need water to grow, and, in turn, we get to eat the plant or the organism which ate the plant. It really is an extremely important substance.

Water is all around us; In rivers, lakes, and the sea you swam in on holiday or live near to. There seems to be an endless supply. So why do people keep telling us we need to save as much as possible?

You are certainly not on your own if you think this.

According to a study, 1 in 4 people admit to taking water availability for granted, with no idea how much water they use daily. 67% feel they cannot use less water than they already do.

Residents also underestimate how much water they use by 55%. An average household uses 350 litres of water a day, yet people estimate they only use 157 litres a day.

With the advent of the never-ending load-shedding interruptions we find ourselves in, entities like Rand water are struggling to pump sufficient water into their valves that feed different municipalities in Gauteng and other neighbouring provinces.

Therefore, we are all advised to use water sparingly.

SAVING WATER AT HOME:

We have listed some tips below to assist you in saving water inside your homes.

• Check and fix all leaks on your property.
• Take shorter showers and turn off the shower whilst applying soap, then turn it back on to rinse off the soap.
• When washing dishes by hand, do not leave the water running to rinse dishes.
• Make sure you put a full load into your washing machine and dishwasher before starting a cycle.
• Cut down the amount of water flushed down the toilet by placing a two-litre plastic bottle full of water in the water tank (cistern) of your toilet.
• Use greywater (from the washing machine, basins, shower, and bath) in the garden
• Close the running tap while brushing your teeth or shaving.
• Cover the swimming pool to reduce water evaporation.

SAVING WATER IN YOUR GARDEN:

We have listed some tips below to assist you in saving water in your gardens and communal areas:

• Plant indigenous (local) plants which can tolerate extreme heat and require little watering.
• Group plants with the same water needs together so that you do not overwater plants with different water needs.
• Put a covering layer (mulch) around trees and plants that will slow evaporation and discourage weeds from growing.
• Water your garden at sunrise and sunset. Water your lawn long enough for the moisture to soak down to the roots. A light sprinkling can evaporate quickly
• Plant in the right season. For winter rainfall areas, you need to plant in autumn and early winter, so the plants have a chance to develop their root systems before the dry season. In summer rainfall areas, you can plant in spring and early summer.

We would like to remind all owners that should you have any queries relating to this information provided to please not hesitate to contact our offices for further assistance.

We thank you for taking the time to go through this communication,

Warmest Regards

Emilia Trump