· Built around the Electricity increase calculator
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On 5 March 2026 NERSA, the energy regulator, approved the 2026/27 electricity increases: 8.76% for Eskom-direct customers from 1 April 2026, and an average 9.01% for municipal customers from 1 July 2026. Both are about double Stats SA's 4.5% inflation for September 2026.
What it adds to your bill
Type what you spend on electricity a month into the electricity increase calculator. The default increase is the 9.01% municipal average; change it to 8.76% if Eskom bills you directly.
- Municipal, R1 800 a month: x 1.0901 = R1 962.18, so R162.18 more a month, R1 946.16 a year.
- Eskom direct, R1 000 a month: x 1.0876 = R1 087.60, so R87.60 more a month, R1 051.20 a year.
- Prepaid, same spend: R1 800 now buys what R1 651.22 bought before - 8.27% fewer kWh.
Your municipality's own increase may differ from the 9.01% average. NERSA approves each municipality's tariffs separately, and fixed or network charges can change on top of the energy rate. Check your council's 2026/27 tariff schedule; our
prepaid electricity calculator has the block tariffs for several metros.
Cutting the cost
The quickest savings are the big loads. The geyser is often the largest single item - see yours with the geyser electricity cost calculator, and any other appliance with appliance running cost. With tariffs rising faster than inflation every year, rooftop panels pay back sooner: the solar payback calculator grows the saving at 9.01% a year by default. To compare this year's bill with last year's from two statements, use the percentage increase calculator.
Sources
Calculators used in this post
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