EV charging

Is home AC EV charging cheaper than public DC in South Africa?

Compare your home rate to published public DC — and remember time matters. Among published public DC rates in October 2026, SAEV Charge at Richmond Park sits at about R2.49/kWh when the on-site battery is above ~90% (otherwise ~R3.49/kWh) versus GridCars ~R7.35 (DriveElectric). At R2.49 many people prefer SAEV for speed and convenience versus overnight home AC; still use home solar surplus when you can — most drivers are out in peak PV hours, so a home battery buffer is usually what makes that surplus reach the car.

Updated 27 October 2026 · Illustrative ranges — not a formal quote, credit decision or legal advice.

Answer first: Price your commute on home AC, then compare to published public DC. The cheapest cited public DC stop in October 2026 press is SAEV Charge at Richmond Park at about R2.49/kWh when the on-site battery is above ~90% (otherwise ~R3.49/kWh) versus GridCars ~R7.35 (DriveElectric). At that R2.49 band, many drivers prefer SAEV — it is a lot faster and more convenient than overnight home AC, and can undercut evening grid import. Still try to use additional home solar: most people are not home during surplus PV hours, so you usually need a battery buffer (or workplace daytime charging) to move that solar into the car — EV charge cost · public networks · charge EV from solar · do I need a battery · EV guide.

Cheapest published public DC (Oct 2026)

Press coverage via DriveElectric / MyBroadband puts SAEV Charge at Richmond Park (Solar MD factory, Cape Town) at about R2.49/kWh when the on-site 2.25 MWh BESS is above ~90% SoC, otherwise about R3.49/kWh — versus GridCars around ~R7.35/kWh DC. That is the cheapest widely cited public DC band in that coverage, not a national price list: other SAEV and peer sites may differ — check the live app. At R2.49, many people simply prefer SAEV to home charging for speed and convenience. Home solar still matters: daytime surplus is wasted for the car unless you add a battery buffer (or charge at work while the roof is producing) — Richmond tariff news · battery need.

How to compare fairly

Input	Where to get it
Home c/kWh	Metro tariff PDF / your bill
Public DC R/kWh	Network app + published posts
Fixed charges	Still on the bill with solar/EV
Idle / session fees	App fine print

fixed charges · TOU · public vs home EV cost.

Desk close

Keep metro and OEM PDFs beside this page. When rand bands disagree with a live primary, the primary wins — metro tariffs · tariffs 2026 · choose installer · get quotes · check a quote.

Sources homeowners can open

Your metro SSEG / tariff PDF (live municipal site).
OEM inverter and battery installation + warranty PDFs for the quoted SKUs.
NERSA and municipal tariff schedules for the current year.
Published network price posts (e.g. DriveElectric) when comparing public DC vs home AC.

Commissioning evidence pack

Serial photos, firmware version, export-limit screenshot, CT polarity photo, dual-supply labels, CoC number, guest monitoring login — with the invoice PDF — CoC · export limit · CT clamps · labels · firmware · warranty claims.

Tariff and fixed-charge reminder

Fixed charges remain after panels go up. Model self-use against your metro’s published rates before celebrating a payback slide — fixed charges · monthly savings · export vs self-use · tariffs 2026 · bill still high · metro tariffs · costs & savings.

Safety do-not list

Do not DIY dual-supply boards, earthing, or MC4 strings.
Do not bridge RCDs or defeat BMS protections.
Do not ignore isolation or earth-fault alarms.
Do not disable export limits or grid-interface settings.

DIY risks · earth leakage · MC4 · DC isolation · red flags · N-E island.

Stage-weekend reality check

Essentials first through your worst Stage window — essentials · Stage strategy · Stage 4 · SoC · Stage table · load shedding hub.

Extra SA context

Keep metro and OEM PDFs beside this page. When rand bands disagree with a live primary, the primary wins — choose installer · get quotes · check a quote · FAQ · about · batteries.

Handover note 1

Photograph serials, labels and the essential board before the cover closes. Keep guest monitoring access with the invoice. Revisit SoC floors when Stage calendars change — SoC · Stage strategy · Stage 4 · essentials · monitoring · choose installer · get quotes · check a quote · FAQ · about · costs & savings · batteries.

Handover note 2

Handover note 3

Handover note 4

Handover note 5

Handover note 6

Handover note 7

Handover note 8

Extra SA context note 2

Keep metro and OEM PDFs beside this page. When rand bands disagree with a live primary, the primary wins — SoC · monthly savings · fixed charges · export vs self-use · choose installer · get quotes · check a quote · FAQ · about · costs & savings · metro tariffs.

Extra SA context note 2

Quick questions

Is public DC ever cheaper?

Sometimes at promotional or solar-backed sites — still compare to your home c/kWh.

Home rate example?

Use your metro tariff PDF; fixed charges still apply.

Need DC at home?

Rarely — supply upgrade cost usually kills it for households.

Source?

Cite live DriveElectric / network apps; prices change.