The City of Cape Town has earmarked R50 million to connect backyard dwellings to the electric grid next year.

The connectivity will be independent power supply point used in the main house/building where they’re located.

This is part of the Cape Town Electricity Services Department’s backyarder project.

The project was established in 2011 to allow the rollout of basic services to the growing number of backyard residents on City property, identified by the Human Settlements Directorate in consultation with residents.

To date, R229 495 913 has been spent access to water, sanitation, waste collection and electricity.

“We have done this in response to the steep growth in the number of backyard dwellers over the past decade, but also taking into account that they are some of the most vulnerable groupings in our city,” MMC for Utility Services, Ernest Sonnenberg said in a statement.

According to the city, the electrification project provides electricity connections directly to backyarders by installing electricity service connections to their dwellings and includes the replacement and/or upgrading of backbone electricity distribution infrastructure.

Backyard dwellers on private property will in future to be added to the project.

“The most obvious benefit of the electrification project is that it eliminates the reliance of backyarders on the main dwelling for access to electricity, and the potential exploitation and unsafe connections that come with such an arrangement,” the city explained.

“It’s very difficult to determine who pays what when you have a situation where tenants share the electricity supply with their landlord. If not managed properly, it can lead to people being ripped off but also create unnecessary tension between parties. A single electricity connection from the main dwelling also makes backyard tenants wholly dependent on the landlord, with the result that they could be left in the dark if no one is home and the electricity runs out,” Sonnenberg said.

One of the project’s challenges, however, is cost in circumstances where the entire existing electricity network has to be replaced because it cannot cope with the required load increase.

The budget allocation for the current financial year will allow the Electricity Services Department to continue with existing projects in Parkwood and Bonteheuwel, the provision of infill electrification in Hanover Park, and the start of a new project in Kalksteenfontein.