Eskom to slap customers with tariff hike: This is how much you more you will be paying
· Citizen
South Africans are in for a big shock and will have to dig very much deeper into their pockets after Eskom announced that it will be implementing an 8.76% tariff hike for customers supplied directly by the utility.
The hike, which takes effect from 1 April 2026, follows a decision by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa).
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South African households’ budgets are already bursting at the seams, and with the US and Israel’s war in Iran likely to spike petrol prices in April, South Africans will face more pressure to find the money to pay for higher electricity bills.
Hike
Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said the increase forms part of Nersa’s tariff determination for the utility’s 2026/27 financial year and applies to customers who purchase electricity directly from the state-owned entity.
“Municipal bulk purchasers will implement their tariff increases, averaging 9.01%, from 1 July 2026, in line with the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), which requires municipalities to implement tariff changes at the start of their financial year.”
The increase to 8.76% follows Nersa’s correction of errors in its earlier tariff determination, which had initially set the rise at 5.36%.
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Next year
Next year, the increase will amount to 8.83% instead of the previously announced 6.19%, as the additional R54 billion granted to Eskom by Nersa is phased in.
Last year, Eskom asked Nersa for a 36% increase in tariffs from April 2025 and 11% and 9% increases in 2026 and 2027.
The utility’s proposed tariff hike followed an almost 13% hike in April 2023. The hefty increase sparked controversy, with the DA launching a petition calling for the application to be rejected.
Pressure
Eskom group chief financial officer Calib Cassim says the utility is mindful of the pressure that rising electricity costs place on households and businesses.
“We have been clear in communicating that Eskom is working to ensure that future tariff increase requests remain reasonable, recognising the affordability pressures on both residential and business customers.
“Achieving this depends on disciplined financial management and finding smarter, more efficient ways of operating,” Cassim said.
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Stable electricity
Mokwena said the tariff increase supports Eskom’s ability to provide a stable and reliable electricity supply.
“Eskom’s revenue requirement covers the cost of generating, transmitting and distributing electricity, while migrating towards a fair return needed to maintain and invest in critical infrastructure. Nersa considered both customer affordability and the long‑term sustainability of the electricity system.”
In January, Eskom said the passing of the Eskom Debt Relief Act in 2023 provided R254 billion to significantly reduce the financial pressure on the utility’s balance sheet.
Eskom recorded a pre-tax profit of R23.9 billion for the year ended March 2025, a sharp turnaround from the R25.5 billion loss in 2024.
Subsidies
Subsidised tariffs will remain in place for certain customers of Eskom
Homelight tariffs will continue to be subsidised, with these subsidies recovered through the affordability subsidy charge. Rural tariffs also remain subsidised because of the higher costs associated with supplying electricity in those areas.
These network-related subsidies, including those benefiting Homelight customers, are recovered through the Electrification and Rural Subsidy (ERS) charge and the Low-Voltage charge.
“These measures continue to ensure that electricity remains accessible and affordable for low-income and rural households,” Mokwena said.
EAF
Eskom said the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) has risen to 65.85% year‑to‑date (1 April 2025 to 12 March 2026), with the fleet reaching or exceeding 70% on 83 occasions.
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