Eskom’s EAF hits six‑year high, diesel spend slashed by R4.8bn

Eskom said it has recorded its strongest performance in six years, with the energy availability factor (EAF) climbing to 67.96% and diesel expenditure plunging by R4.8 billion.

It said this signals a turnaround in South Africa’s power supply reliability.

The utility said the improvement came from a 6.92% reduction in unplanned outages and the return of 3 100MW of generation capacity to the grid.

EAF

Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said the weekly EAF peaked at 72.74% between 11 and 17 September 2026, reinforcing the upward trend.

“This milestone reflects the impact of structural interventions and sustained operational improvements across our generation fleet,” Eskom said in a statement. “We are delivering a more reliable, cost‑efficient and environmentally sustainable electricity supply for South Africa.”

Diesel usage

Mokwena said the improved fleet performance has sharply reduced reliance on diesel‑fired generation, with the open-cycle gas turbine load factor dropping from 7.25% to just 1.06%.

“By cutting diesel use, we saved R4.8 billion year‑on‑year, while emissions also outperformed targets – proof that our recovery plan is delivering results,” Mokwena added.

Load reduction

Load reduction has also been significantly curtailed.

Seven provinces are now free from the measure, with 1.4 million customers restored to normal supply. Only 3.4% of Eskom’s customer base remains affected, mainly in Gauteng and KwaZulu‑Natal (KZN).

Load shedding

Eskom said the country has now gone 490 consecutive days without load shedding since May 2025.

“This achievement demonstrates the cumulative impact of improved fleet performance, lower unplanned outages, increased generation capacity and reduced reliance on emergency resources,” Eskom said.

The utility reaffirmed its target to eliminate load reduction entirely by March 2027, supported by smart meter rollouts, distributed energy integration and expanded free basic electricity support.

Eskom profit

Earlier this month, Eskom posted its second consecutive profitable year, signalling a deepening turnaround built on stronger operations, tighter cost control and improved energy security.

The improved performance was supported by an earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margin of 30.63%, reflecting more efficient generation, reduced reliance on diesel and disciplined cost management.

Price hike

Meanwhile, Eskom is seeking to implement an average tariff increase of 8.8% from April next year, following an adjustment approved by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa).

This could be another above-inflation electricity tariff hike for consumers if Eskom gets its way.

Eskom is requesting permission to implement the third year of its multi-year price determination, as decided in 2025.

Tariffs

Last year, Eskom asked Nersa for a 36% increase in tariffs from April 2025 and 11% and 9% increases in 2026 and 2027.

The utility’s proposed tariff hike follows an almost 13% hike in April 2023. The hefty increase has already sparked controversy, with the DA launching a petition calling for the application to be rejected.

The sixth multiyear price determination (MYPD6) confirmed that Eskom is making a total allowable revenue application of R446 billion for 2026, R495 billion for 2027, and R537 billion for 2028, which it applied for and aims to recover as the allowable revenue.

Eskom’s application includes regulatory clearing account (RCA) determinations, which allow the state-owned entity to recover revenues for a particular year if tariffs were too low.