Savings
How much does a solar subscription like GoSolr cost over 10 years compared with buying?
GoSolr’s entry residential plan is R1 470 a month incl. VAT for eight 620–640 W panels, a 5 kW hybrid inverter and a 5 kWh battery, plus a once-off admin fee, and the fee rises with CPI every 1 July. At an assumed 4.5% CPI that adds up to about R217 000 over 10 years, against a published 2026 Johannesburg range of R72 000 to R108 000 to buy a complete 5 kW system with a 5–10 kWh battery. A subscription buys you no upfront cost and no maintenance admin; buying usually costs far less if you stay in the house.
Updated 27 October 2026 · Illustrative ranges — not a formal quote, credit decision or legal advice.
Solar subscriptions are popular because they remove the biggest barrier: finding R80 000 or more upfront. The provider owns, insures and maintains the system and you pay a monthly fee. That is a real service. It is also expensive over time, and the only way to see how expensive is to add up the months.
GoSolr’s published residential prices (October 2026)
| Plan | Monthly fee incl. VAT | Who GoSolr says it suits |
|---|---|---|
| S | R1 470 | Electricity spend under R2 500 a month. 8 × 620–640 Wp panels, 5 kW hybrid, 5 kWh lithium; extra battery R490 a month |
| M | R2 558 | Spend of R2 500 to R6 000 a month |
| L / L three-phase | R3 349 / R3 499 | Spend above R6 000 a month |
| XL / XL three-phase | R4 336 / R4 486 | Spend above R8 000 a month |
GoSolr says the S plan averages about 26 kWh of solar a day and about three hours of backup. The products page lists a once-off admin fee equal to one month on the S plan (R1 470), covering installation, the Certificate of Compliance and municipal registration. Its contract summary says the agreement is evergreen (it runs until you cancel), the fee escalates on 1 July each year in line with CPI, and a call-out for a problem not related to the GoSolr installation costs R650. Secondary reviews describe a purchase option after three years (SolarGuide) or end-of-term options after five years (EnergyBee); the two descriptions differ, so read the version of the contract you are offered.
Adding up 10 years (illustrative)
We assume CPI of 4.5% a year. That is an assumption, not a forecast; change it and the totals move.
| Plan | Year 1 | Year 10 monthly fee | 10-year total incl. admin fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| S (R1 470) | R17 640 | ≈ R2 180 | ≈ R218 000 |
| M (R2 558) | R30 696 | ≈ R3 800 | ≈ R377 000 |
| L (R3 349) | R40 188 | ≈ R4 980 | ≈ R494 000 |
The 10-year total is the year-1 cost times about 12.29 (the sum of ten years of 4.5% increases), plus the admin fee where we know it. We have not added the S plan’s admin fee to M and L because GoSolr does not show those on the same page.
What buying the same size system costs
The S plan is roughly a 5 kW hybrid with about 5 kW of panels and a 5 kWh battery. Published 2026 market ranges for a complete 5 kW system with a 5–10 kWh battery are R72 000 to R108 000 in Johannesburg and R71 000 to R107 000 in Pretoria (EnergyBee), and R80 000 to R120 000 nationally (SolarZA). Our 5 kW cost answer has the detail.
Owning has costs a subscription covers: insurance (often a modest increase on your household policy, see solar insurance), occasional maintenance, and probably a battery or inverter repair at some point within 10 years. Even if you budget R30 000 for those over the decade, buying the S-sized system outright at R90 000 lands near R120 000, roughly R100 000 less than the subscription.
What about financing instead?
The fairer comparison for someone without cash is a loan, not cash. A solar loan or bond top-up spreads the R72 000 to R108 000 over five to ten years at interest, and at the end you own the system. The total depends entirely on your rate; ask the bank for the total repayment figure and set it next to the subscription’s 10-year total. Our bond and loan answer and finance guide show how. As SolarGuide puts it, if the monthly subscription is close to a loan repayment, the loan usually wins because you end up owning the asset.
When a subscription is the right choice
- You do not have the upfront cash and do not qualify for a fair loan rate.
- You may move within a few years and do not want to sell a house with an owned system. See selling with solar.
- You want someone else to own the monitoring, repairs and insurance.
- You rent. GoSolr says the homeowner must still sign the contract, so check this with your landlord. Our landlord and tenant answer covers the paperwork.
Questions to ask before you sign any subscription
- What is the exact escalation formula, and is it capped?
- What does it cost to cancel in year 1, 2 and 3, including removal and roof repair?
- What is the buyout price after three or five years, and how is it calculated?
- What happens if I sell the house? Can the buyer take over the contract?
- Is the battery size enough for my evening use, and what does an extra battery cost per month?
- Who registers the system with my municipality, and is that included in the admin fee?
The savings side still applies
Whether you rent or buy the hardware, your bill falls only by the energy you stop buying. The fixed charges on your electricity account stay, so a R2 500 bill does not become R0. Check how much of your bill is fixed before comparing a subscription fee with your current spend; our bill still high after solar answer shows the 2026/27 fixed charges by metro.
Related: lease or buy? · solar payback · is solar worth it? · monthly savings.
Total payable vs sticker — a worked habit
Ask every subscription or rent-to-own offer for: cash equivalent of the hardware, monthly fee, term (months), what happens at month 60/120, who owns SSEG and warranties, and early-exit / sale fees. Multiply fee × months, add exit costs, then compare to a cash or bond quote with the same usable kWh. If the pack is smaller than the cash alternative, normalise to R per usable kWh-year before you celebrate a “R0 deposit”.
Related: lease vs buy · bond / energy finance · read a quote.
Exit and sale clauses to highlight
If you sell in year 4, who pays the remaining subscription, who owns the roof penetrations, and does the buyer inherit SSEG? Get those clauses in plain language before the cool fridge magnet arrives — selling with solar · warranty transfer.
Compare against a cash quote on the same brief
Force the subscription provider and a cash installer to price identical usable kWh, SPD scope and SSEG allowances. Then compare total payable, not the monthly sticker alone — read a quote · 5 kW cost.
Inflation and fee escalators
Read whether the monthly fee escalates annually and at what index. A flat year-1 fee that climbs at CPI+X changes the 10-year total more than a small hardware upgrade — demand a worked schedule — lease vs buy.
Quick questions
Is GoSolr cheaper than buying solar?
Usually not over the long run. The S plan totals about R218 000 over 10 years at an assumed 4.5% CPI, against about R72 000 to R108 000 to buy a similar 5 kW system in Johannesburg.
Can I cancel a GoSolr subscription?
GoSolr describes its contract as evergreen, running until you cancel; ask for the exact cancellation and removal costs in writing before you sign.
Does the GoSolr fee go up each year?
Yes. Its contract summary says the monthly fee escalates on 1 July each year in line with CPI.
Sources & related
- GoSolr: residential subscription products and prices
- GoSolr: contract summary (evergreen term, CPI escalation each 1 July)
- EnergyBee: GoSolr review South Africa 2026 (secondary)
- SolarGuide: rent-to-own vs solar subscription, 2026 comparison (secondary)
- EnergyBee: solar installation in Johannesburg 2026 (market ranges)