Power Struggles: How South Africans Can Tackle the Latest Electricity Price Hikes

Electricity Hikes Are Here, But Your Budget Doesn’t Have To Suffer

As winter grips South Africa and heaters hum in every household, another chill has set in — and it’s not the weather. It’s the sting of yet another electricity price hike.

From Johannesburg to Cape Town and beyond, residents woke up to steeper municipal tariffs this July, with increases of up to 14% now in effect. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) gave the green light for over 100 municipalities to raise electricity prices well beyond inflation. For many South Africans, the question isn’t whether they’ll feel it — it’s how badly.

What the Hike Looks Like Across the Country

If you live in Ekurhuleni, you’re now facing a hefty 13.4% increase. Cape Town and Nelson Mandela Bay are close behind with a 12.8% jump, while Joburg residents serviced by City Power are staring at a 12.41% rise.

Tshwane residents might feel marginally luckier with an increase of “only” 10.2%. But with inflation hovering around 5%, even the most modest jump hits harder than expected.

Some municipalities tried to push for even higher increases, but Nersa held the line, citing poor financial management, runaway municipal debt, and energy losses. Still, the regulator noted it had received a record number of complaints and objections from consumers — a clear sign that South Africans have had enough.

Social Media Simmers with Frustration

On platforms like X (formerly Twitter), the frustration is palpable. One Joburg resident wrote, “We’re paying more for less power. Stage 4 load shedding and now a 12% increase? Make it make sense.”

Another shared, “This is why we’re investing in solar. At this rate, off-grid is cheaper than loyalty.”

But amid the outrage, others are asking what they can do — how they can actually take control in a situation that seems beyond their influence.

It’s Time to Get Smart About Energy Habits

This is where tools like LookSee’s Smart Save come in — an initiative launched by Standard Bank to help households understand and reduce their energy usage.

“We keep having to deal with above-inflation increases for an essential service,” said Marc Du Plessis, Executive Head of LookSee. “It’s painful, but at this point, it’s not just about inconvenience — it’s about affordability.”

LookSee’s Smart Save platform offers two things every household desperately needs: insight and actionable advice.

The platform uses a home’s location, energy habits, and local municipal data to build a tailored profile. It then suggests specific steps a household can take to improve its Energy Efficiency Score — a sort of credit score for how well you manage your electricity use.

Small Changes, Big Wins

Du Plessis is adamant that smart savings don’t mean living in the dark. It’s about habits.

“Behaviour is everything,” he explains. “Small adjustments, like managing when you run heavy appliances or switching to LEDs, can shave serious rands off your bill.”

The biggest takeaway? You can’t control the tariffs — but you can control your usage. And with the right tools, you might even be able to absorb or offset some of the increases.

The Bigger Picture

What’s happening now isn’t new. South Africans have been navigating energy instability, load shedding, and spiralling costs for more than a decade. But the gap between affordability and access is growing faster than ever.

As legal battles over the fairness of previous tariff hikes play out — including in Cape Town — it’s clear that structural reform is needed. But in the meantime, households are on their own.

So, while Eskom and the municipalities keep debating numbers behind boardroom doors, the real strategy starts at home — with a plug, a plan, and platforms like LookSee helping households reclaim control one kilowatt at a time.

Source:The Citizen 

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