Free basic electricity for the elderly: what each big metro provides

Free Basic Electricity for the elderly has been part of South Africa’s policy landscape since 2003. The policy was designed to give poor households a monthly allocation of free electricity, but uptake and delivery across the major metros vary sharply.

Where the policy stands nationally

Government provision for Free Basic Electricity began in 2003. Recent figures presented to Parliament show wide differences in estimates of how many households qualify and how many actually receive the support. Eskom told Parliament in October 2025 that 2.1 million households qualify in its supply areas, but fewer than 500,000 were receiving the benefit at that time. In August 2026, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa gave a much larger national estimate: 10 million households qualify, of which 2 million are on the books.

Why uptake remains low

Parliament’s electricity committee heard that illegal connections are a major factor keeping uptake low. The reporting states that roughly three-quarters of the unregistered 7.5 million households are already benefitting from illegal supply. The same material records that Eskom loses around R30 billion a year to theft and tampering. Those using illegal supplies have limited incentive to register for the official Free Basic Electricity programmes.

Policy change under consideration

The Free Basic Electricity allocation has historically been set within a band. The material notes this band has been between 50 and 200 kWh. Minister Ramokgopa has proposed increasing the allocation; the change has been gazetted and is available for public comment.

What the big metros offer pensioners

Metro rules and the free allocations differ. Below are the offers described for the main metros:

• City Power (Johannesburg): 50 kWh free monthly for households with income under R7,800. The income threshold is adjusted every November. Renewals are valid for 12 months.
• eThekwini (Durban): 65 kWh free on its Scale 12 tariff for households using less than 150 kWh a month.
• City of Cape Town: Between 25 and 60 kWh free depending on the usage band. Income must be under R7,500 for any qualifying SASSA Grant recipient. Pensioners must reapply after July 2026’s General Valuation.
• City of Tshwane (Pretoria): 100 kWh free electricity, 12 kl free water and a full rates rebate for qualifying households; these benefits are available through the e-Tshwane portal.

How to apply

Application requirements listed by the metros include:

• ID document
• Meter or account number
• Proof of income or a SASSA Grant letter
• Three months’ bank statements or an affidavit
• Proof of residence

The material notes that most metros run walk-in offices and sometimes mobile registration points.

What this means for pensioners

The programmes aim to prioritise SASSA Old-Age Grant beneficiaries, but implementation challenges and the prevalence of illegal connections have limited registration and delivery. Recent proposals to raise the Free Basic Electricity allocation represent the first major rethink of the policy since it began.