Eskom is proposing increases of 8.83% for its direct customers and 8.84% for municipalities from 1 April 2027. The final increases still require regulatory approval.

South African households could face another above-inflation electricity increase next year.

Eskom told Parliament that it plans to increase tariffs by 8.83% for customers supplied directly by the utility and 8.84% for municipalities. The proposed changes would take effect from 1 April 2027, but they remain subject to approval by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa.

The announcement comes while households are already dealing with higher food, fuel, transport and borrowing costs.

What could it mean for your electricity bill?

An increase of 8.83% would add roughly R88 to a monthly electricity bill of R1,000.

A household currently spending R1,500 a month could pay approximately R132 more, assuming the full average increase is passed on. The actual amount would depend on the tariff, municipality, usage level and fixed charges applied to the account.

Municipal customers may also experience the increase differently because individual municipalities set their own retail electricity tariffs after purchasing power from Eskom.

Parliament raises affordability concerns

Parliament’s Standing Committee on Appropriations questioned whether another steep increase could be justified while many families are struggling to cover basic expenses.

Committee members warned that higher electricity costs could force households to choose between power, food, school expenses and other essentials.

The concern is especially serious for lower-income families, who spend a much larger portion of their income on electricity and transport.

South Africans have already absorbed an average Eskom increase of 8.76% for direct customers during the current financial year. Municipal bulk electricity tariffs increased by 9.01%.

If the new proposal is approved, consumers will face another sizeable increase before they have had much time to recover from the previous one.

Eskom is still owed billions

Eskom also told Parliament that municipal debt had reached R122.5 billion by August 2026.

Some defaulting municipalities have entered payment arrangements with the utility, but those agreements could take years to complete.

This creates a difficult situation. Eskom needs enough revenue to maintain the power system, while paying customers are increasingly being asked to carry the cost of a system weakened by unpaid municipal accounts.

Parliament is also considering whether electricity support intended for indigent households should be paid directly to Eskom instead of passing through municipalities.

Supporters believe this could improve revenue collection and reduce administrative costs. The details would need careful oversight to ensure qualifying households still receive the electricity assistance intended for them.

This is not yet a confirmed increase

The proposed tariffs have not yet been finally approved.

NERSA must consider Eskom’s application and determine what increases can be justified. The regulator may approve the proposal, reduce it or make changes to the tariff structure.

For now, households should treat the figures as a warning of what may be coming, not as a final electricity price.

The bigger question is how many more above-inflation increases South Africans can absorb.

Electricity may be more stable than it was during the worst years of load shedding, but keeping the lights on means little if growing numbers of households can no longer afford to use them.

Sources: Parliament of South Africa, Eskom tariff information and additional reporting from the Mail & Guardian article by Brian Sokutu, published 13 October 2026.

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