New Emfuleni solar charges could cost homeowners thousands more

Emfuleni residents with rooftop solar may soon be asked to pay more just to stay connected. The municipality, which serves parts of Sebokeng, Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark, has backed an in-principle proposal for a once-off R2 400 registration fee and a monthly R463 charge for households that generate their own electricity. The plan has already drawn sharp criticism from AfriForum and the FF Plus.

Why the backlash is growing

AfriForum says the municipality still has not shown that it has the legal basis to introduce the new costs. The group says it reviewed Emfuleni’s draft IDP, the tariff application sent to NERSA and other public information, and found gaps around policy, cost studies and by-law changes. It has now asked the municipality for council resolutions, legal opinions, tariff calculations and public participation records.

‘Before residents are expected to pay new fees, the Municipality must demonstrate that the charges are authorised by law,’ That is how AfriForum’s Morné Mostert framed the issue, and that single line is likely to land with anyone who has already spent thousands on solar just to get a bit of breathing room from unreliable supply.

A familiar municipal headache

The political response has been just as blunt. FF Plus councillor Gerda Senekal said the levy is a desperate attempt to raise revenue at a time when the municipality is struggling to deliver stable electricity to paying residents. Sedibeng Ster reports that residents will be able to object once public participation opens, which means the debate is far from over.

The timing matters. Eskom’s own guidance says solar PV systems under 100kVA must be registered with the network provider, but its household fee waiver ran until 31 March 2026. In other words, registration itself is not the controversy. The fight is over whether Emfuleni can legally add its own extra layer of charges on top.

For many households in the Vaal, rooftop solar has become less of a lifestyle upgrade and more of a survival plan. That is why this proposal is landing so badly. In a municipality already battling financial pressure and service delivery strain, residents are unlikely to see the new fee as a technical adjustment. They will see it as another bill in a place where trust is already running thin.