Which Ekurhuleni tariff are you on?
The table above lists every residential tariff in the City of Ekurhuleni's 2026/27 schedule. Unlike Johannesburg or Tshwane, Ekurhuleni charges one flat rate per kWh on each residential tariff, with no inclining blocks. Prepaid and post-paid customers on the same tariff pay the same rate: the schedule says Tariff A and Tariff B both apply to "prepayment or post-paid metering".
- Tariff A.1 (Indigent). For households registered under the City's Indigent Support Policy. The first 50 kWh a month is free, then 298.79 c/kWh.
- Tariff A.2 (non-indigent, low income). A flat 306.35 c/kWh with no basic charge, for supplies up to 60A per phase. If you average more than 750 kWh a month over six months, the City moves you to Tariff B.
- Tariff B (Residential). A flat 337.00 c/kWh plus a monthly basic charge of R109.78 for single phase or R203.89 for three phase, charged "whether electricity is consumed or not". This is the tariff for full-title homes with medium to high use, and the one every solar home ends up on.
All Ekurhuleni rates are excluding VAT; the schedule states this on its first page (Schedule 2, 2026/27). Including VAT, Tariff A.2 is about R3.52 per kWh and Tariff B about R3.88 per kWh, plus R126.25 a month for a single-phase basic charge.
To tell which you are on, look at your municipal account or prepaid slip for the tariff code, or for a basic charge. No basic charge and you are not indigent usually means Tariff A.2. A basic charge means Tariff B.
The schedule also says City tariffs apply only where the City is licensed to supply. If your bill or token slip comes from Eskom rather than the City, you pay Eskom's tariffs instead: use the Eskom rows on the national tariff tracker.
What changed on 1 July 2026
NERSA approved a 9.01% increase in the bulk price Eskom charges municipalities from 1 July 2026 (NERSA, 12 March 2026). The City's notice of 2 July 2026, New Ekurhuleni tariffs effective from 1 July 2026, gives the electricity increase as 8.76%, "aligned to the NERSA-approved tariff guidelines". The new schedule was approved by NERSA on 23 May 2026 and adopted by Council on 30 July 2026.
That 8.76% is an overall figure, and households felt the change very differently. Comparing the City's amended 2025/26 schedule with the 2026/27 one:
| Item (excl. VAT) | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|
| Tariff B energy charge | 337.22 c/kWh | 337.00 c/kWh |
| Tariff B basic charge, single phase | R109.78 | R109.78 |
| Tariff A.2 energy charge | 258.65 c/kWh up to 600 kWh, then higher blocks | 306.35 c/kWh flat |
| Solar export credit (Tariff B) | 105.38 c/kWh | 114.61 c/kWh |
Tariff B is effectively unchanged. Tariff A.2 lost its inclining blocks: a 600 kWh A.2 household paid R1,551.90 before VAT last year and pays R1,838.10 now, an 18.4% rise. The export credit went up by 8.76%.
Solar in Ekurhuleni: registration, meters and the export credit
You need written permission first
The City's solar PV embedded generation general information is blunt: national law prohibits connecting a generator to the grid "without specific written permission from the municipality", and that includes systems that never feed back. Off-grid systems with no connection to your wiring need no permission.
The registration process summary sets out the steps:
- Complete the SSEG application form. Attach a single line diagram for systems over 18 kW, and the signed Annexure 4 commencement form.
- The City issues a first approval letter so construction can start.
- After installation, submit the commissioning form, the Certificate of Compliance, photos of the dual-supply safety labels at the municipal supply point, and the inverter's NRS 097-2-1 certificate.
- The City issues final approval and replaces your meter.
Commissioning is signed off by an ECSA-registered technologist or engineer, or an industry-accredited installer such as a PV GreenCard holder. Systems under 20 kW do not need ECSA sign-off. The City says it responds to applications within 10 working days. Our SSEG registration guide explains the national rules behind all of this.
The meter and the tariff move
Every solar home goes onto Tariff B: Schedule 2 says no customer with solar PV may stay on Tariff A, and exporting is only possible on Tariff B. To export, you need a four-quadrant bi-directional automated meter reading (AMR) meter, which the City installs at your cost. Ekurhuleni's embedded generation guideline adds that the meter may have to sit in a kiosk in the road reserve, and that a deposit is payable when you change to the AMR meter.
If you don't want to export, you can stay on a prepaid meter, but you must fit reverse power flow blocking so the meter doesn't malfunction.
What exported power earns
Registered Tariff B customers who remain net consumers are credited 114.61 c/kWh (excluding VAT) for excess power exported in 2026/27. Against an import price of 337.00 c/kWh, every unit you use yourself is worth about three times a unit you export. Our net metering guide explains why that shapes system design.
Worked example: a 600 kWh home on Tariff B
SolarGuide calculation from the 2026/27 Schedule 2 rates, single-phase supply.
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|
| Energy | 600 kWh × 337.00 c | R2,022.00 |
| Basic charge, single phase | | R109.78 |
| Subtotal excluding VAT | | R2,131.78 |
| VAT at 15% | | R319.77 |
| Total for the month | | R2,451.55 |
That is about R4.09 per kWh all in.
If solar covered 300 kWh, each unit saved is worth the flat 337.00 c plus VAT. That is 300 × 337.00 c = R1,011.00, or R1,162.65 a month including VAT. The bill drops to R1,288.90. Because Ekurhuleni has no blocks, every solar unit saves the same amount, and the basic charge stays whatever you do.
If you are on Tariff A.2 today, the sum is different. At 600 kWh you pay 600 × 306.35 c = R1,838.10, or R2,113.81 with VAT. Installing solar moves you to Tariff B, so offsetting 300 kWh leaves a bill of R1,288.90. The real saving is R824.92 a month, not R1,162.65, because you take on the basic charge and a higher rate per unit.
For sizing, that makes Ekurhuleni fairly simple. A system sized to cover what you use, especially during the day, earns the full 337.00 c on every unit. Oversizing to export earns only 114.61 c, and you must stay a net consumer to receive even that. Shift geysers and pool pumps into the sunny hours (our geyser timer guide shows how), and use a battery to carry solar into the evening.
Your next step
- Check how much solar your roof can hold with the solar roof-fit calculator.
- Work out what your geyser costs you at 337.00 c/kWh with the geyser cost calculator.
- Compare Ekurhuleni with Johannesburg, Tshwane and Eskom on the 2026/27 tariff tracker, and use our guide to comparing solar quotes when they arrive.
Alumo installs, finances and warrants the systems; SolarGuide helps you compare and get a free quote. Alumo's rent-to-own Watt-a-Deal starts from R1,449 a month over seven years (with 6.5% annual escalation), and subscriptions start from R1,499 a month. Set those against your Tariff B bill, since that is the tariff you will be on with solar.
Get a free solar quote →
Frequently asked questions
What are prepaid electricity rates in Ekurhuleni for 2026/27?
Prepaid and post-paid customers on the same tariff pay the same rate. Tariff A.2 is 306.35 c/kWh, Tariff B is 337.00 c/kWh plus a R109.78 single-phase basic charge, and indigent Tariff A.1 is 298.79 c/kWh after 50 free units. All exclude VAT. Including VAT they are about R3.52, R3.88 and R3.44 per kWh.
How much did Ekurhuleni electricity go up in July 2026?
The City gives the electricity increase as 8.76%. In the published rates, Tariff B's energy charge barely moved (337.22 c to 337.00 c) and its basic charge stayed at R109.78. Tariff A.2 rose from 258.65 c to a flat 306.35 c/kWh, about 18.4% for a home using up to 600 kWh.
Does Ekurhuleni pay for solar power fed into the grid?
Yes. Registered customers on Tariff B who remain net consumers receive 114.61 c/kWh (excluding VAT) for exported units in 2026/27. You need City approval and a four-quadrant bi-directional AMR meter, installed at your cost.
Can I stay on Tariff A if I install solar?
No. The 2026/27 schedule says no customer with solar PV embedded generation may remain on Tariff A; such customers are migrated to Tariff B Residential.
Do I need to register an off-grid or non-exporting system?
A non-exporting system connected to your home's wiring still needs written permission from the City. Only a truly off-grid system, with no connection to wiring that is linked to the municipal network, is exempt.
Sources and review note
Checked on 21 October 2026. Tariffs, VAT basis, Tariff A and B rules and the export credit come from the City of Ekurhuleni Schedule 2: Supply of Electricity Tariffs 2026/2027 (version 2026.07.30, pp1 to 5). The 2025/26 comparison uses the amended 2025/26 Schedule 2. The 8.76% figure is from the City's 2 July 2026 public notice. Registration and metering rules come from the City's general information, registration process summary and embedded generation guideline. The bulk increase is from NERSA's 12 March 2026 statement. Worked examples are SolarGuide calculations using VAT at 15%, not quotes.