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18 April 2026
Public urged to speak out on municipal electricity tariff increases
Residents across South Africa are being encouraged to make their voices heard as municipalities seek approval for electricity tariff increases currently under consideration by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA). NERSA has opened a public comment process on municipal electricity tariff applications for the 2026/27 financial year. The comment period closes on 21 April 2026, giving communities a limited window to raise concerns about the impact of rising electricity prices.
Environmental justice organization groundWork says the review comes at a time when households are already under severe pressure from the cost of living. Data from the PMBEJD Household Affordability Index shows just how tight household budgets have become. A basic household food basket now sits at around R5,400 to R5,600 per month, while transport and fuel costs continue to fluctuate sharply, with petrol remaining well above R20 per litre in many parts of the country over recent months. Electricity costs for low-income households have also climbed steadily, with many families reporting that prepaid electricity now takes up a growing share of monthly income, often 10% to 20% of total household spending in poorer communities.
According to groundWork, electricity is not a luxury. It is what people rely on to cook, to keep warm, to store food, to live safely. But when you place that against food at over five thousand rand a month and fuel costs keep shifting upward, you start to see the pressure households are under. There is simply no slack left in the system.
Civil society groups have long warned that escalating electricity costs risk deepening energy poverty, particularly in working-class communities where unemployment and low wages leave households exposed to every increase in tariffs and basic goods. Electricity pricing decisions cannot be separated from the broader cost of living crisis. Families are already cutting back on food, transport and other essentials just to keep the lights on. When electricity increases again, it doesn’t come out of surplus income, it comes out of food budgets. That is the reality PMBEJD’s data consistently shows month after month.
Municipalities from across the country have submitted tariff applications, including the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality and Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, among the list of over 130 municipalities across the country.
groundWork is encouraging residents, community organizations and small businesses to submit comments to NERSA describing how electricity costs affect their households, businesses and communities.
These decisions are often framed as technical or financial matters, but they land in very real ways in people’s homes. If electricity goes up again, it is not an abstract adjustment rather it is fewer meals, less transport money, and more households pushed into crisis. Members of the public can submit comments by email to before 21 April 2026.
Example of Submission communities can use
Subject: Comment on Municipal Electricity Tariff Increases
To the National Energy Regulator of South Africa,
I am writing to comment on the proposed municipal electricity tariff increases. Electricity is already expensive for many households in our community. Families depend on electricity for basic daily needs such as cooking, heating and lighting. Households are already under pressure from the rising cost of living, including food and transport. Basic food costs are now over R5,000 per month for many families, and fuel prices remain high, leaving very little room for any additional increases.
Further tariff increases will place additional pressure on households that are already struggling to survive. I request that NERSA carefully consider the impact of tariff increases on ordinary residents and ensure that electricity remains affordable, especially for low-income communities.
Name:
Community / Organization (if applicable):
Municipality:
groundWork says the current review process provides me with an important opportunity to participate in decisions that affect a basic public service.
Electricity is fundamental to my dignity and wellbeing. My community must have a say in how it is priced, especially at a time when every Rand in the household is already stretched thin.
