Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin must spell out what the position of utility Eskom is when it comes to claims for compensation from those who have suffered losses as a result of power cuts, the DA said on Tuesday.

Individual consumers were being hit hard by the ongoing and often unplanned power outages, which often damaged appliances and caused food to be destroyed, Democratic Alliance public enterprises spokesman Manie van Dyk said.

"In many instances, these consumers simply cannot afford to replace broken goods, and many have to just do without the food that is destroyed.

"I will pose parliamentary questions to the minister of public enterprises to determine what exactly the position is with regard to claims for compensation from Eskom," he said.

If it could be proved Eskom had acted negligently, which appeared to be a possibility, the electricity supplier could well be liable for damages caused to consumers.

"Section 12 of the Electricity Act provides that any consumer may institute a claim for damages against a license holder if such license holder neglected to fulfil its obligations as set out in the license."

It was now up to Erwin to explain to South Africans what exactly their rights were in terms of compensation, and what financial provisions had been made for this, Van Dyk said.