JOHANNESBURG - Municipalities have just two more weeks to submit electricity tariff applications for the 2026/27 financial year.
The National Energy Regulator of SA wants municipal applications to be in by no later than 31 March.
They will have to be accompanied by cost-of-supply studies.
The cost of electricity increases by 8.76 percent for customers supplied directly by Eskom.
But municipalities, mainly metros, will implement their hikes on 1 July.
This is where customers feel the pinch of having a middleman.
Municipalities often add their own markups, which may lead to double-digit increases.
Some municipalities, such as Johannesburg, have introduced fixed monthly surcharges for prepaid customers. This significantly increases the cost of electricity.
All municipal electricity distributors must have a public participation process before their tariffs are approved.