South Africa faces serious power problems that affect homes, businesses & the government. Bad pricing choices high costs and growing debt forced big price increases for 2025 and 2026. NERSA approved these changes that will start in October 2025. People will feel the impact all year but the worst effects will hit in October 2025. Let’s look at the new approved rates and see how they will affect customers now and in the future.
NERSA’s Final Approval: What Changes Are Coming in 2025/26
– Eskom will raise power prices by 12.74% for direct customers starting October 10 2025.
– Then from November 1, 2025 municipalities that buy power from Eskom will charge their customers 11.32% more.
– These changes are part of Eskom’s plan to match prices with running costs & fix subsidy issues.
The pricing system is also changing in several ways:
– The old system that gave cheaper rates to people who used less power is ending. Now everyone will pay the same rate no matter how much power they use.
– Monthly fixed charges are going up a lot. Some home users will see these charges rise by 88%.
– Peak hours are getting longer & off-peak hours shorter. The Sunday evening discount is going away & will become a normal rate. These changes will affect how much everyone pays for power and when it’s cheapest to use electricity.
October 2025 Implementation: The Real Reason Behind the Timing
October 2025 won’t start the price increases. But by then customers will have gone through many billing cycles with the new system. October 2025 will show several changes at once: –
– The effects of how people use electricity under the new flat rates
– Higher basic fees & more expensive peak time usage
– Updates to city fees that get added to Eskom’s main prices In October cities often reduce some charges but they might add their own local fees. This means your area could have extra costs on top of the national rates.
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How Rising Electricity Prices Will Affect Homes and Businesses
– People who don’t use much power (less than 350 kWh monthly) might see bigger price increases than others. This happens because the government is stopping its support for cheap electricity. Some cities help poor families by giving them some free power each month. These free power programs will become more important with the new prices.
– People who use more electricity might benefit from the new flat rates because the price won’t jump as much when they use more power. But they’ll have to pay more in basic fees and might pay extra during peak hours. Big companies and factories might see different changes in their bills.
– It depends on their special deals with power companies and when they use electricity during the day. Some of them have unique pricing agreements that will affect how much more they’ll pay.
Smart Moves You Can Make to Reduce Power Costs
– Check your electricity plan to see if you have Homelight Homepower or Homeflex. Also find out if you pay upfront or after use.
– Use big appliances like washing machines during off-peak times to save money on your evening power bills.
– You can cut down on power use with small changes. Switch to LED lights and energy-saving appliances. Make sure your home has good insulation.
– Think about getting solar panels & batteries if your local rules allow you to send power back to the grid.
– If you need help paying for power ask your local council about support programs or free basic electricity.
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