Free basic electricity: Eskom urges eligible households to claim

More than 577 000 households currently receive free basic electricity, Eskom says, while millions of eligible customers may still qualify for monthly support.

Eskom stated that only 27% of an estimated 2.1 million eligible customers currently benefit from the programme. Eskom urged indigent households to check their eligibility and register through their local municipality.

Who can receive free electricity?

Free basic electricity supports households that cannot afford essential municipal services. The general allocation is 50 kWh per household each month, with municipalities responsible for deciding who qualifies under their indigent policies. Eskom’s official guidance

‘Municipalities determine who qualifies,’ Eskom states.

Qualifying households are added to the municipal indigent register before receiving the benefit.

How to apply for the benefit

Households that think they may qualify should:

• Contact their local municipality and ask about indigent registration.
• Eskom also lists 130869# and 130269# for customers already configured to receive the benefit.
• Confirm whether they meet the municipality’s qualifying criteria.
• Ask how to claim their monthly free basic electricity allocation.
• Claim prepaid FBE tokens each month if approved.

Prepaid customers do not need to buy electricity before claiming their free allocation. Eskom says the free electricity is provided from the first day of each month.

Remember to claim your units

FBE tokens do not accumulate if they are not claimed. Unused tokens also expire at the end of the calendar month.

Eskom says the programme aims to help eligible households meet basic energy needs and ease pressure on household budgets.