By Ana Monteiro —

Johannesburg – State power utility Eskom has asked the national energy regulator Nersa for permission to recoup R38bn of costs incurred in its 2014 financial year through higher electricity tariffs starting April 1 next year.

“If approved, the outcome of this application is expected to impact the electricity price commencing in 2016-17,” acting chairperson Ben Ngubane said in the company’s annual report, released on Tuesday.

The regulator in June rejected a request by Eskom, which is struggling to meet demand in Africa’s most-industrialised economy, to raise prices by as much as 25% for the year to March 2016. The additional funds would have been used to buy power from independent producers and for diesel to fuel generators the utility uses to curb scheduled blackouts.

Read full article here