TPN's research indicates that residential tenants are already overexposed to the high cost of electricity. By way of example, a tenant in a two-bedroomed townhouse over a five-year period provides tangible evidence of the rising cost of electricity. In June 2009, the average monthly cost of electricity for Joe (your average tenant) was R192.40: this figure has risen year on year to a monthly cost of R202.14 in 2010, R351.07 in 2011, R626.33 in 2012 and R814.70 in 2013.
Joe's case is not isolated and most consumers would relate personally with this increase pattern. In fact, the cost of electricity has increased so disproportionality with the cost of living that Joe's electricity cost now makes up 19% of his overall rent and electricity bill compared to only 5% in 2009.
A broader sample of TPN's Rentbook tenants indicates a similar trend with some noteworthy key findings: