Green Electricity Certificates (GECs) may be bought by anyone in good financial standing with the City, including Eskom electricity customers residing within the City’s limits and those not connected to the City’s electricity network or resident within the City’s metropolitan boundaries.
Must GECs be purchased as a once off or as a fixed monthly amount?
The City is particularly interested in selling GECs to companies that would like to purchase certificates over an extended period (1 - 3 years). Prospective purchasers are invited to contact the City with the view to exploring jointly whether mutually acceptable supply arrangements can be agreed on. GECs may however, also be purchased on an ad hoc basis. For residents and small business owners it is recommended that the purchaser buys sufficient certificates at a time to green their electricity consumption for a full year. The quantity of GECs to be purchased will not be automatically linked with the buyer’s own electricity consumption. The quantity to be purchased would therefore need to be determined by the customer. The Electricity Directorate can assist in this regard.
Is there a limit to how many GECs can be purchased?
There may be a limit set on the minimum and maximum number of GECs that can be purchased, depending on demand.
What are the effects of a purchase on pre-paid or credit meter electricity purchases?
There will be no effect on your electricity purchases - the purchase of GECs is an entirely separate purchase and a separate charge in addition to normal electricity purchases.
Will there be fewer power cuts for those who buy green electricity?
Unfortunately not, because it is not possible to separate ‘green’ electrons from ‘black’ electrons on the electrical network, and the DWF green electricity only comprises about 0.1% of the electricity consumed by the city. If large amounts of green electricity were available, the reliability of the country's supply could very well improve.
Will a green electricity purchase exempt the purchaser from loadshedding?
Due to electricity network constraints, it is not possible to exclude buyers of GECs from loadshedding or from experiencing loss of electricity supply for any other reason.
How much do GECs cost?
The price of GECs for the 2011/2012 year is 25.44c for 1 kWh excluding VAT. (This is a separate and additional purchase to the normal purchase of electricity and for which a separate invoice will be issued.) The price will be revised on the first of July each year.
What is the procedure to buy GECs?
To further explore buying GECs, please e-mail your requirements to green.electricity@capetown.gov.za, fax 021 446 1985 or write to:
The Head
Green Energy
Electricity Services Directorate
P.O. Box 82
Cape Town
8000
It will not be possible to purchase GECs ‘over the counter’. Queries can also be directed to the City's call centre on 0860 10 30 89.
Applications will be considered on a first come, first served basis, subject to restrictions on the quantity of GECs that may be imposed.
What payment methods are available for GECs?
Successful applicants will be sent a ‘Request for Payment’ notification. This notification ‘invoice’ will be separate from invoices for municipal services and will bear a unique nine digit account number.
Payment may be made in the same manner as payments for municipal services, which include:
- Cheque
- Cash
- Postal order
- Direct electronic payment (account payment details will be provided with the ‘Request for Payment’ notification)
It is vital that the correct nine digit account number is quoted when making payment as payment will be automatically identified by the City’s computerised billing system.
When are ‘Green Electricity Purchase Statements’ sent to customers?
The date of transfer of the rights to the benefits of the renewable electricity represented by the GECs will occur when the City issues a tax invoice acknowledging receipt for payment in full for the certificates.
A decorative Green Electricity Purchase Statement is posted to the purchaser shortly after payment has been received.
Is it possible to alter or withdraw an offer to buy GECs?
Yes, you may alter or withdraw an offer to purchase at any stage. However, once payment for the GECs has been effected, the purchase is non-refundable. Notification of alteration or withdrawal must be in writing.
What are the terms and conditions of the sale of green electricity?
The terms and conditions of sale of Green Electricity Certificates may be downloaded here.
Additional information: