The City’s Electricity Services Department (ESD) distributes electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers situated largely within the southern part of Cape Town. In doing so, it provides the necessary link between the electricity supplier (mainly Eskom) and the consumers that buy and use electricity. To perform this function, it needs to construct and maintain the equipment that transforms the power supply (from the high voltage transmission lines that carry it from the country’s power stations in the Northern Province and Mmpumalanga to Cape Town to the type that meets the customer’s needs; to supply public lighting, including street lighting, and to provide ancillary support services, including (but not limited to) vending and billing systems, revenue management, metering and pre-edit services, load control systems, planning, workshops, telecommunications and the operation of call centres. The department prioritises any other service that is related to the above or required to achieve the following objectives:
- Municipality sustainability and financial viability
- Protection of the right to access free basic electricity
- Maintenance of governance integrity
- Creation of an independently sustainable and viable entity
- Maintenance of Municipal obligation to current staff members
- Ensurance of accountability and transparency of reporting
- Customer satisfaction
The department is licensed by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) to undertake this function. Under the NERSA licence, the standard of services provided must meet the requirements as set out in the national standards NRS047 and NRS048.
The City is one of many electricity distributors that operate in South Africa, ranging from large metros to small municipalities. At one stage there were nearly 500, although this figure has since been reduced by means of consolidation to an estimated 180. National government together with key stakeholders are currently working towards reducing this number further, and to this end have initiated a programme aimed at establishing regional electricity distributors that will manage and drive all electricity distribution throughout the country. This will allow tariffs to be aligned, service to be improved and equipment to be better maintained and updated.
The department operates within a challenging environment full of obstacles that need to be overcome before progress can be made. Most prominent among these are the economic impacts of the national energy crisis, and the current shortage of technical and specialist skills. Cape Town’s carbon footprint needs to be contained to mitigate climate change, and a significant investment in new and current infrastructure must be made to cater for increased demand. The department is proactively managing the situation by developing city-wide energy saving and demand management programmes, a climate change strategy and the development of opportunities for renewable (non-fossil fuel based) forms of energy).
Department functions:
Public Lighting
Public lighting, including street lighting, is a highly visible municipal service that is viewed as a primary service and function by the public. It assists in reducing crime and forms part of the City’s 5 year plan to create integrated human settlements, amongst other strategic objectives. In recognition of this, Public Lighting has been created as a dedicated unit to maintain the 265 000 luminaires (bulbs) that impact so significantly on the people of Cape Town.
The unit currently operates out of three main depots in Goodwood, Ndabeni and Wynberg and plans are in place to establish satellite depots based on the number of luminaires to be serviced once staffing levels have been improved.
Customer Services
The above unit is responsible for customer services (including vending services).
In 2007, a new centralized Technical Operations Centre (TOC) was established with a single number for people to call: 0800 220 440. This centre receives electricity supply related calls and generates works notifications for Low Voltage (LV) teams to be dispatched to resolve network problems. The City’s Corporate Call Centre handles calls of a financial (back office) nature.
A single vending system for all ESD customers has replaced the various vending systems that have operated till now.
The unit’s work is guided by predetermined standards that specify minimum standards, the quality of services rendered and standard response times (telephonic and written responses). Further items covered include specifications for services such customer driven complaints, enquiries, requests, quotations and forums.