Nersa seeks public comment on Eskom’s proposed 8.83% tariff structure

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa is seeking public and stakeholder comment on how Eskom proposes to structure an average 8.83% electricity tariff increase for the 2027/28 financial year.

The proposed increase is linked to the third year of Eskom’s multi-year price determination. It is not a new final approval for every charge shown on a customer’s bill.

Nersa official Rhulani Mathebula told SABC News that the consultation concerns the structure of charges, including basic, service and energy-use components. The regulator will consider whether the design could lead to double counting or charges that customers should not bear.

The distinction matters because the total percentage and the way fixed and usage-based charges are divided can affect households and businesses differently. A higher fixed charge, for example, may change a bill even when electricity consumption is reduced.

Nersa previously disallowed parts of Eskom’s revenue request. Mathebula said the utility’s preferred increase would have been substantially higher without those deductions.

Members of the public and affected stakeholders can make submissions during the regulator’s consultation process. Nersa will consider those representations before finalising the tariff structure that applies from April 2027.

Until that process is completed, the 8.83% figure remains the proposed average increase within the existing multi-year determination, subject to the regulator’s decision on how Eskom may recover it.