Five things you need to know about City Power's fixed charge

City Power is now charging residents who are on prepaid plan R200 every month that will go towards maintaining electricity infrastructure. Only indigent people (customers earning less than R6,000 a month) are exempted from paying this fixed charge.

According to City Power's Frank Hinda, general manager for tariffs, this is a permanent arrangement.

Here are five things you need to know about this fixed charge:

1. The R200 will not get consumers any electricity units, but is a service fee that will go towards maintaining electricity infrastructure.

2. Whether you decide to skip a month and not purchase electricity, you will still accumulate a monthly bill of R200 and required to pay for that month.

3. City Power said it introduced this fixed charge to share costs of maintaining electricity infrastructure with its customers.

4. Indigent people have to register with City Power and produce proof of payment to be exempted from the charge.

5. If you decide to buy electricity for R200, City Power won't take it all at once and leave you without units but will take R100 then take the remaining amount from the next purchase.