The South African Department of Public Works unveiled Monday power conservation plans for governmental buildings that would issue penalties for those unwilling to comply. Such buildings included in the plan are the Union Buildings from which the Presidential administration operates.
President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said this new program is designed to encourage others to report these unlawful acts, particularly large industrial customers. The new pricing policy would use methods like time-of-use billing that would require a large organization of smart-metering tools, punishing those using power during peak periods.
Certain amounts have already been approved for the demand-side management program under the December tariff adjustment, although Eskom was previously denied the R2.5 billion it requested in its application to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa in 2006.