The DA has invited the public to submit comments on its new draft Bill aimed at stopping what it says are unfair electricity price hikes, with the submission window open until November 15.

A formal notice to introduce the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill has been published in the Government Gazette.

The draft legislation seeks to amend the existing Electricity Regulation Act to close regulatory loopholes and protect South African consumers from skyrocketing, unverified tariff increases, the party said.

DA spokesperson on Electricity and Energy Kevin Mileham urged citizens to participate actively in the legislative process.

“Now that our draft Bill is published, the DA is calling on the public to submit comments on it - so that working together we can advance this Bill through Parliament to protect South Africans from unfair electricity tariff increases. Together we can take a stand,” he stated.

Currently, electricity prices have consistently outpaced inflation, trapping households and businesses in severe financial strain. According to the DA, consumers are routinely forced to absorb the financial fallout of calculation errors, the recovery of arrears, and arbitrary "guesstimates" regarding municipal supply costs.

The DA's Bill proposes that every tariff application must be backed by a demonstrable, scientific cost-of-supply study, which would force the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) to verify these studies and publish them for public review.

The Bill aims to explicitly prevent electricity tariffs from being applied retroactively and it will affirm the legal principle of finality, mandating that any amendments to already approved tariffs must undergo a formal judicial review rather than automated adjustments.

The urgency of the Bill is highlighted by a recent R54.7-billion correction to Eskom’s revenue determination. Mileham pointed out that Nersa’s regulatory calculation errors directly resulted in additional future tariff hikes, including an approved 8.83% increase for the 2027/28 financial year.

“Consumers of South Africa had no part in making those errors, yet we are expected to pay for them with no apology,” Mileham argued. “When regulatory mistakes of this magnitude can be passed on to consumers, there is clearly a gap in the protections provided by our existing laws. The DA seeks to close this gap.”

While the party acknowledges that electricity suppliers require sufficient revenue to maintain infrastructure and ensure grid reliability, it maintains that these costs must be strictly audited.

"They are entitled to recover reasonable costs," Mileham said. "But those costs must be properly established and verified before consumers are asked to pay more, not guesstimated and made up."