What electricity costs per kWh in South Africa
Residential tariffs for Eskom and the major metros, taken from each utility's official 2026/27 tariff documents, with the all-in price per kWh once VAT and fixed charges are included.
All-in price per kWh by usage
Standard non-indigent residential tariffs, including VAT and fixed charges. The more you use, the more fixed charges are spread out, but stepped blocks push the price up.
| Utility | Tariff | 300 kWh/month | 600 kWh/month | 1000 kWh/month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eskom | Homelight 60A | R3,44 | R3,44 | R3,44 |
| City of Johannesburg | Residential Prepaid High | R4,15 | R4,04 | R4,17 |
| City of Cape Town | Domestic | R4,39 | R4,26 | R4,53 |
| eThekwini Municipality | Residential Scale 8 & 9 | R4,11 | R4,11 | R4,11 |
| City of Ekurhuleni | Tariff B Residential | R4,30 | R4,09 | R4,00 |
| Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality | Scale 1B Non-Indigent Domestic Prepayment | R5,64 | R4,75 | R4,40 |
Your bill or prepaid history shows your kWh. Many homes use 300 to 900 kWh a month.
| Utility and tariff | Monthly cost | All-in per kWh |
|---|---|---|
| Eskom Homelight 60A | R 2 062 | R 3,44 |
| City of Johannesburg Residential Prepaid High | R 2 422 | R 4,04 |
| City of Ekurhuleni Tariff B Residential | R 2 452 | R 4,09 |
| eThekwini Municipality Residential Scale 8 & 9 | R 2 467 | R 4,11 |
| City of Cape Town Domestic | R 2 558 | R 4,26 |
| Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality Scale 1B Non-Indigent Domestic Prepayment | R 2 852 | R 4,75 |
Includes VAT and each tariff's fixed monthly charges, spread across your usage. Standard non-indigent residential tariffs; your own tariff may differ.
Every tariff, by utility
Energy charges exactly as published, with the VAT basis each document uses. NERSA approved 8.76% for Eskom direct customers from 1 April 2026 and 9.01% for Eskom's bulk supply to municipalities from 1 July 2026.
Eskom (direct residential customers)
| Tariff | Energy charge | Fixed charges | VAT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homepower 1 prepaid/conventional · from 2026-04-01 | 0+ kWh: 280,05c/kWh | Network capacity charge: R13,19 a day Service and administration charge: R5,74 a day Generation capacity charge: R1,09 a day Combined fixed charge: R20,02 a day | Excl. | Official source |
| Homepower 2 prepaid/conventional · from 2026-04-01 | 0+ kWh: 280,05c/kWh | Network capacity charge: R29,44 a day Service and administration charge: R5,74 a day Generation capacity charge: R1,93 a day Combined fixed charge: R37,11 a day | Excl. | Official source |
| Homepower 3 prepaid/conventional · from 2026-04-01 | 0+ kWh: 280,05c/kWh | Network capacity charge: R62,89 a day Service and administration charge: R5,74 a day Generation capacity charge: R4,70 a day Combined fixed charge: R73,33 a day | Excl. | Official source |
| Homepower 4 prepaid/conventional · from 2026-04-01 | 0+ kWh: 280,05c/kWh | Network capacity charge: R9,08 a day Service and administration charge: R5,74 a day Generation capacity charge: R0,71 a day Combined fixed charge: R15,53 a day | Excl. | Official source |
| Homelight 20A prepaid/conventional · from 2026-04-01 | 0+ kWh: 235,04c/kWh | None | Excl. | Official source |
| Homelight 60A prepaid/conventional · from 2026-04-01 | 0+ kWh: 298,79c/kWh | None | Excl. | Official source |
City of Johannesburg (City Power)
| Tariff | Energy charge | Fixed charges | VAT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Prepaid High prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0–350 kWh: 290,46c/kWh 350–500 kWh: 333,18c/kWh 500+ kWh: 379,64c/kWh | Service charge: R70,00 a month Capacity charge: R140,00 a month | Excl. | Official source |
| Residential Prepaid Low prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0–350 kWh: 272,37c/kWh 350–500 kWh: 333,18c/kWh 500+ kWh: 413,06c/kWh | None | Excl. | Official source |
| Residential Conventional Two-Part, Single phase 60A conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0–500 kWh: 288,27c/kWh 500–1000 kWh: 330,82c/kWh 1000–2000 kWh: 355,23c/kWh 2000–3000 kWh: 374,79c/kWh 3000+ kWh: 393,19c/kWh | Service charge: R235,79 a month Network/capacity charge: R694,58 a month | Excl. | Official source |
| Residential Conventional Two-Part, Single phase 80A conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0–500 kWh: 288,27c/kWh 500–1000 kWh: 330,82c/kWh 1000–2000 kWh: 355,23c/kWh 2000–3000 kWh: 374,79c/kWh 3000+ kWh: 393,19c/kWh | Service charge: R304,12 a month Network/capacity charge: R985,11 a month | Excl. | Official source |
| Residential Conventional Two-Part, Three phase 80A conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0–500 kWh: 280,76c/kWh 500–1000 kWh: 322,21c/kWh 1000–2000 kWh: 345,98c/kWh 2000–3000 kWh: 365,03c/kWh 3000+ kWh: 382,94c/kWh | Service charge: R304,12 a month Network/capacity charge: R1227,18 a month | Excl. | Official source |
City of Tshwane
Rates come from the City's 2 July 2026 announcement; the approved documents do not state whether they include VAT, so they are not converted into rand totals.
| Tariff | Energy charge | Fixed charges | VAT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic standard supply (residential), single & three phase - prepaid prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0–100 kWh: 324,12c/kWh 100–400 kWh: 379,32c/kWh 400–650 kWh: 413,27c/kWh 650+ kWh: 445,51c/kWh | None | Not stated | Official source |
| Domestic standard supply (residential), single & three phase - conventional conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0–100 kWh: 324,12c/kWh 100–400 kWh: 379,32c/kWh 400–650 kWh: 413,27c/kWh 650+ kWh: 445,51c/kWh | None | Not stated | Official source |
City of Cape Town
| Tariff | Energy charge | Fixed charges | VAT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lifeline prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0–600 kWh: 283,04c/kWh 600+ kWh: 283,04c/kWh | None | Incl. | Official source |
| Domestic prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0–600 kWh: 413,79c/kWh 600+ kWh: 493,90c/kWh | Service and Wires Charge: R2,46 a day Service and Wires Charge: R74,77 a month | Incl. | Official source |
| Home User prepaid/conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0–600 kWh: 355,95c/kWh 600+ kWh: 469,06c/kWh | Service and Wires Charge: R424,30 a month AMI administration fee: R6,80 a month | Incl. | Official source |
| Residential Time-of-Use conventional · from 2026-07-01 | Time-of-use; see source | Administration Charge: R396,16 a month Capacity Charge: R288,48 a month AMI administration fee: R6,80 a month | Incl. | Official source |
eThekwini Municipality
| Tariff | Energy charge | Fixed charges | VAT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Scale 8 & 9 prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0+ kWh: 411,09c/kWh | None | Incl. | Official source |
| Residential Scale 13 prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0+ kWh: 411,09c/kWh | None | Incl. | Official source |
| Residential Scale 3 & 4 conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0+ kWh: 411,09c/kWh | None | Incl. | Official source |
| Residential Scale 12 prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0+ kWh: 267,13c/kWh | None | Incl. | Official source |
| Residential Time of Use conventional · from 2026-07-01 | Time-of-use; see source | Service charge: R282,11 a month | Excl. | Official source |
City of Ekurhuleni
| Tariff | Energy charge | Fixed charges | VAT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tariff A.2 Residential (non-indigent) Low income prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0+ kWh: 306,35c/kWh | None | Excl. | Official source |
| Tariff A.2 Residential (non-indigent) Low income conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0+ kWh: 306,35c/kWh | None | Excl. | Official source |
| Tariff A.1 Residential prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0–50 kWh: 0,00c/kWh 50+ kWh: 298,79c/kWh | None | Excl. | Official source |
| Tariff B Residential conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0+ kWh: 337,00c/kWh | Basic charge, single phase: R109,78 a month Basic charge, three phase: R203,89 a month | Excl. | Official source |
| Tariff B Residential prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0+ kWh: 337,00c/kWh | Basic charge, single phase: R109,78 a month Basic charge, three phase: R203,89 a month | Excl. | Official source |
Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality
NERSA approved a flat 392c/kWh (excl. VAT) in May 2026, but a High Court order on 4 August 2026 reinstated block tariffs and a new application is pending. Figures are shown for reference only.
| Tariff | Energy charge | Fixed charges | VAT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATTP Domestic Prepaid & Credit prepaid/conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0–75 kWh: 392,00c/kWh 75+ kWh: 356,00c/kWh | None | Excl. | Official source |
| Non-ATTP Domestic Prepaid prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0+ kWh: 392,00c/kWh | Basic charge: R79,60 a month | Excl. | Official source |
| Non-ATTP Domestic Credit/Conventional conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0+ kWh: 392,00c/kWh | Basic charge: R79,60 a month | Excl. | Official source |
| ATTP Domestic Prepaid (Tariff 1): reinstated 4-block IBT, PROPOSED in NMBM application of Aug 2026 prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0–75 kWh: 246,38c/kWh 75–300 kWh: 270,50c/kWh 300–500 kWh: 449,13c/kWh 500+ kWh: 506,54c/kWh | None | Incl. | Official source |
| Non-ATTP Domestic Prepaid (T01): reinstated IBT, PROPOSED in NMBM application of Aug 2026 prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0–250 kWh: 385,33c/kWh 250–500 kWh: 458,06c/kWh 500+ kWh: 506,54c/kWh | Basic charge: R91,54 a month | Incl. | Official source |
| Non-ATTP Domestic Credit (T31 & T36): reinstated IBT, PROPOSED in NMBM application of Aug 2026 conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0–250 kWh: 385,33c/kWh 250–500 kWh: 458,06c/kWh 500+ kWh: 506,54c/kWh | Basic charge: R91,53 a month | Incl. | Official source |
Mangaung Metro (Centlec)
The approved Centlec tariffs do not state whether they include VAT, and summer and winter months are not defined, so they are not converted into rand totals.
| Tariff | Energy charge | Fixed charges | VAT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tariff II: IBT Domestic (Conventional & Prepaid) - summer - prepaid prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0–350 kWh: 304,42c/kWh 350+ kWh: 350,58c/kWh | Basic Monthly charge: R50,00 a month | Not stated | Official source |
| Tariff II: IBT Domestic (Conventional & Prepaid) - winter - prepaid prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0–350 kWh: 375,86c/kWh 350+ kWh: 456,09c/kWh | Basic Monthly charge: R50,00 a month | Not stated | Official source |
| Tariff I: IBT Indigent (Conventional & Prepaid) - summer - prepaid prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0–50 kWh: 237,38c/kWh 50–350 kWh: 252,77c/kWh 350+ kWh: 343,99c/kWh | None | Not stated | Official source |
| Tariff I: IBT Indigent (Conventional & Prepaid) - winter - prepaid prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0–50 kWh: 301,13c/kWh 50–350 kWh: 322,01c/kWh 350+ kWh: 381,35c/kWh | None | Not stated | Official source |
| Tariff II: IBT Domestic (Conventional & Prepaid) - summer - conventional conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0–350 kWh: 304,42c/kWh 350+ kWh: 350,58c/kWh | Basic Monthly charge: R50,00 a month | Not stated | Official source |
| Tariff II: IBT Domestic (Conventional & Prepaid) - winter - conventional conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0–350 kWh: 375,86c/kWh 350+ kWh: 456,09c/kWh | Basic Monthly charge: R50,00 a month | Not stated | Official source |
| Tariff I: IBT Indigent (Conventional & Prepaid) - summer - conventional conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0–50 kWh: 237,38c/kWh 50–350 kWh: 252,77c/kWh 350+ kWh: 343,99c/kWh | None | Not stated | Official source |
| Tariff I: IBT Indigent (Conventional & Prepaid) - winter - conventional conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0–50 kWh: 301,13c/kWh 50–350 kWh: 322,01c/kWh 350+ kWh: 381,35c/kWh | None | Not stated | Official source |
Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
| Tariff | Energy charge | Fixed charges | VAT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scale 1B Non-Indigent Domestic Prepayment prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0–2000 kWh: 387,00c/kWh 2000+ kWh: 408,00c/kWh | Basic monthly service charge: R530,15 a month | Incl. | Official source |
| Scale 1C Indigent & Pensioners Domestic Prepayment Three Part Block Tariff prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0–50 kWh: 0,00c/kWh 50–300 kWh: 329,00c/kWh 300+ kWh: 388,00c/kWh | None | Incl. | Official source |
| Scale 1C-3 Pensioners Domestic three part tariff prepaid/conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0–300 kWh: 359,00c/kWh 300+ kWh: 388,00c/kWh | None | Incl. | Official source |
| Scale 1C-4 Social housing development projects prepaid/conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0–200 kWh: 359,00c/kWh 200+ kWh: 388,00c/kWh | None | Incl. | Official source |
| Scale 2B Small Power Users Domestic and Commercial prepayment prepaid · from 2026-07-01 | 0+ kWh: 434,00c/kWh | Basic monthly service charge: R1260,06 a month | Incl. | Official source |
| Scale 1A conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0+ kWh: 447,00c/kWh | Basic charge per month: R591,45 a month | Incl. | Official source |
| Scale 2A conventional · from 2026-07-01 | 0+ kWh: 512,00c/kWh | None | Incl. | Official source |
How to read these numbers
Every figure comes from the utility's own 2026/27 tariff documents or official announcements, checked on 26 September 2026 and linked above. The all-in prices add VAT at 15% where a document publishes prices excluding VAT, and spread fixed monthly or daily charges across the usage shown.
Cities charge different tariffs to different homes, often by property value, meter type or supply size. The comparison uses one standard non-indigent residential tariff per utility; check your bill for the tariff you are actually on. Tshwane and Mangaung are listed but not priced, because their approved documents don't state whether rates include VAT, and Nelson Mandela Bay's tariff is under legal dispute.
Tariff questions
How much is electricity per unit in South Africa in 2026?
It depends on your supplier and tariff. For standard residential tariffs checked on 26 September 2026, the all-in price at 600 kWh a month, including VAT and fixed charges, ranges from R3,44 to R4,75 per kWh across the utilities compared here.
How much did electricity go up in 2026?
NERSA approved an 8.76% increase for Eskom's direct customers from 1 April 2026 and a 9.01% increase in what Eskom charges municipalities from 1 July 2026. Municipal households' own increases are approved separately for each city and can differ.
Why is my price per kWh higher than the tariff rate?
Fixed service, capacity or network charges are added whatever you use, and many cities charge more per kWh once you pass a monthly block. Spread over a small monthly usage, fixed charges can add a lot to the effective price per kWh.