One Rand is about 14cents Canadian, or 7 to the dollar. They want to go up to over 1 Rand, almost 15c per kwh. Thunder Bay Hydro price is 0.066 cents kwh plus delivery and service etc.

In June, Nersa granted Eskom an average price increase of 31 percent, after it asked for 34 percent, for July, 2009, to March, 2010. This took the price from an average of 25c/kWh to 33c/kWh.

If Eskom gets what it wants, it means 2012 prices will be four times the 2008 prices.

Maroga said Eskom could not sustain its programme of building new power stations without the hefty increases and might have to delay part of the building programme if it didn't get them.

Maroga said the primary energy costs - mainly coal to run power stations - were expected to more than double from R25bn a year in 2009/10 to R56bn in 2014/15.

Operating costs were expected to nearly double, from R31bn in 2009/10 to R57bn in 2014/15.