Eskom’s stronger generation performance can reduce disruption and backup-power costs. It does not automatically make each unit of electricity cheaper.
Eskom’s recovery raises a practical question for South Africans: when will the improvement make a difference to their wallets?
The answer depends on which cost is being measured. A more reliable supply can reduce the cost of interruptions. Electricity tariffs, however, are set through a separate regulatory process.
Following our report on Eskom’s latest operational update, this follow-up explains the difference between a stronger national power system and the experience at a home or business.
What Eskom’s recovery means
In its 16 October update, Eskom said its financial year-to-date energy availability factor reached 68.2% for the period from 1 April to 15 October 2026. That compares with 62.63% over the corresponding period last year.
Energy availability factor, or EAF, measures the share of generating capacity available after planned and unplanned losses. It is not a direct measure of the electricity received by every customer and does not guarantee uninterrupted supply.
Eskom also said financial year-to-date diesel expenditure fell to R1.18 billion from R6.05 billion over the corresponding period last year. That is a year-on-year reduction of R4.87 billion, or 80.47%.
For businesses, fewer interruptions can mean fewer generator running hours, less disruption to refrigeration and production, and fewer interruptions to trading. These are possible savings at business level, not a national saving measured in Eskom’s update. A business that still experiences local faults may see little improvement.
Why electricity bills can still rise
Electricity tariffs are decided separately from Eskom’s weekly operational performance.
NERSA approved an average tariff increase of 8.76% for Eskom’s direct customers from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. It also approved an average increase of 9.01% for municipal customers from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.
These are average increases. The exact change on a household or business bill depends on its customer category, consumption pattern, tariff structure and, for municipal customers, the charges approved by the relevant municipality.
The tariff decision forms part of a regulatory process for Eskom’s allowed revenue and retail tariff structure. It is not an automatic response to the latest EAF figure. Lower diesel spending improves one part of Eskom’s cost position, but it does not by itself trigger an immediate tariff reduction.
Why the power may still go off
National generation performance and neighbourhood electricity supply are different parts of the system.
| Type of interruption | What it means |
|---|---|
| Load-shedding | Controlled interruptions used to balance national electricity supply and demand |
| Load reduction | Targeted interruptions used to protect overloaded local networks |
| Local outage | An interruption linked to faults, damaged equipment or maintenance |
In the same 16 October update, Eskom said 193,556 customers, equal to 2.7% of its customer base, remained affected by its load-reduction programme. It said the remaining impact was confined to selected areas in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
Eskom attributed continued load reduction in those areas to risks including illegal connections, meter tampering and overloaded infrastructure. The figures relate to Eskom’s programme and do not describe every municipal electricity network.
What households and businesses should watch
The practical test of Eskom’s recovery is whether stronger national performance reaches the customer.
Households can track both electricity spending and the frequency of interruptions. Businesses can also record generator fuel, maintenance and downtime costs.
Those figures may reveal a benefit that the electricity bill alone misses. A business could pay more per unit of grid electricity while spending less overall on backup power and lost trading time.
Has your electricity supply become more reliable, and are you spending less on backup power? Share your experience in the comments.
Sources: Eskom operational update, 16 October 2026; NERSA tariff decision, 10 March 2026. Business implications are SA Business Lens analysis.
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