The public hearings on Eskom’s exorbitant tariff hikes have kicked off in Cape Town’s city centre on Monday morning.

The power utility is pushing for a whopping 57% electricity increase for the next three years. It wants a 36.15% increase as of next year April followed by an 11.9% in 2026 and 9.1% in 2027.

In its application to the energy regulator Nersa, Eskom claimed that the average price of electricity still does not cover the full efficient costs, nor the cost of capital.

A researcher with the Trade Unions for Energy Democracy, Brian Kamanzi indicated that the fight for affordable electricity doesn’t only lie at the doors of the energy regulator, but also at parliament.