Tshwane electricity tariffs 2026/27: what the 8.8% increase does to solar payback

Answer first: Tshwane’s 2026/27 increase makes every rooftop kWh in Pretoria worth 8.8% more than it was a year ago, and the households that gain most are the ones buying in the top two blocks. Solar removes your most expensive kWh first — in Tshwane that is 445.51 c above 650 kWh and 413.26 c from 401 to 650 kWh, before VAT. Related: Tshwane SSEG export credit · how tariff increases change payback · metro tariffs desk.

The 2026/27 Tshwane domestic blocks

NERSA’s decision on the City of Tshwane records that the municipality applied for an average 8.8% increase for 2026/27 (its own cost-of-supply adjustment tool pointed to 10.08%), and the regulator approved a uniform 8.8% across every domestic inclining block (NERSA Reasons for Decision, City of Tshwane tariffs FY2026/27). Domestic prepaid and conventional customers use the same blocks:

NERSA approves municipal tariffs excluding VAT; the incl.-VAT column is the excl. figure × 1.15, which is what lands on a domestic statement. Indigent and lifeline customers moved by the same 8.8% on a slightly lower ladder (323.37 c to 435.49 c). Domestic three-phase demand customers pay R1 227.51 a month plus 248.89 c/kWh and R228.97/kVA.

What 8.8% means on an 800 kWh household bill

An 800 kWh month crosses all four blocks. At 2026/27 rates the energy line is:

• 100 kWh × 324.12 c = R324.12
• 300 kWh × 379.32 c = R1 137.96
• 250 kWh × 413.26 c = R1 033.15
• 150 kWh × 445.51 c = R668.27

Total R3 163.50 excl. VAT, or about R3 638 incl. VAT, against about R3 344 incl. on the 2025/26 ladder. That is roughly R294 more every month, R3 530 a year, for the same fridge, geyser and kettle. Nothing about the house changed; the price of the last 400 kWh did.

What a 5 kW hybrid saves in Pretoria now

Pretoria is a strong solar city. PVGIS models a north-facing array at 25° tilt producing about 1 730 kWh per kWp a year in Pretoria, with monthly output between about 128 and 160 kWh per kWp (EU JRC PVGIS v5.2 (1 kWp, 25° north-facing, 14% system loss; run 27 Oct 2026)). A 5.5 kWp array (ten 550 W panels) on a 5 kW hybrid therefore makes about 790 kWh in an average month.

Assume the household uses 450 kWh of that directly or through a battery in the evening, and exports 150 kWh of midday surplus after battery and conversion losses:

The SSEG fixed charge (R324.00 excl.) and the 94.13 c export credit come from section 17.14 of the same NERSA decision (NERSA Reasons for Decision, City of Tshwane tariffs FY2026/27). The City’s own FAQ has shown an older, much lower export figure; confirm the credit printed on your bi-directional statement — Tshwane SSEG export credit.

Payback on the new numbers

Installed 5 kW hybrid systems with 5–10 kWh of battery sell for about R80 000 to R120 000 in 2026 (SolarZA price guide (updated 28 Jan 2026)). At R1 965 a month (≈R23 580 a year):

• R80 000 system: about 3.4 years at flat 2026/27 tariffs.
• R100 000 system: about 4.2 years flat. If Tshwane repeats an 8.8% increase each July, the cumulative saving passes R100 000 in about 3.75 years.
• R120 000 system: about 5.1 years flat, roughly 4.4 years with 8.8% yearly increases.

The increase shortened payback by the same 8.8% it added to the bill: the R100 000 system needed about 4.6 years on 2025/26 prices. That is the core rule for Pretoria — every tariff increase you live through without solar is money you could have kept, and every increase after you install pays you instead of the City.

Size the battery for Pretoria evenings

Tshwane domestic customers are on inclining blocks, not time-of-use, so a battery is not chasing a peak price — it is moving midday solar into the evening so you stop buying Block 3 and Block 4 energy at night. If you are too busy to read this full answer — get a 16 kWh battery that can be expanded later. A 16 kWh LiFePO₄ pack delivers about 12.8–14.4 kWh usable at 80–90% depth of discharge, which covers cooking, TV, lights, Wi-Fi and the fridge through a Pretoria evening and still leaves a reserve for an outage. Excellent rand-per-usable-kWh options exist in that band, and 48 V DC is the oldest, most proven architecture for home hybrid systems. Installers who have run packs for a decade say Solar MD units outlive their warranty — the SS4160 is warranted for 12 years or 84 MWh (warranty explained). More: what size battery · battery guide.

Small businesses in Tshwane: the bigger shock

NERSA approved a redesign of Tshwane’s small single-phase commercial tariffs: energy rose 26.22% from 318.33 c to 401.80 c/kWh excl. VAT, while the monthly basic charge fell from R1 923.96 to R1 000 (≤60 A) and from R2 521.14 to R1 200 (≥60 A) (NERSA Reasons for Decision, City of Tshwane tariffs FY2026/27). Prepaid commercial moved the same way. The break-even sits near 1 100 kWh a month for the ≤60 A tariff: a corner shop below that pays less than last year, a bakery or workshop above it pays more. Every kWh a business roof produces is now worth 26% more, which cuts commercial solar payback by about a fifth. See solar for restaurants and bakeries and solar for shops.

Five Pretoria-specific checks before you sign

1. Put your Block 3 and Block 4 kWh on the quote. Savings belong in the top blocks; a quote that values every kWh at an average rate undersells the system.
2. Price the R324 SSEG fixed charge in. It is real money every month — fixed charges with solar.
3. Treat export as a bonus. At 94.13 c excl. an exported kWh earns less than a quarter of what a self-used Block 4 kWh saves.
4. Plan for Highveld hail and lightning. Pretoria storms make SPDs and correct insurance disclosure part of the business case — hail rating · surge protection.
5. Insist on an open kit you own. Victron GX-class control with a Solar MD battery, or an equivalent open stack, keeps warranty swaps local and commissioning offline — open vs closed hybrids.

Bottom line

Tshwane households now pay up to 445.51 c/kWh excl. VAT for their top block. A 5 kW hybrid with 5.5 kWp of panels and a 16 kWh expandable battery saves about R1 965 a month after the SSEG fixed charge and pays back in about four years on a R100 000 install. Read your own block usage off the statement, then get three quotes on the same brief — how to read your municipal bill · how to read a quote.

Quick questions

How much did Tshwane electricity go up in 2026/27?

NERSA approved a uniform 8.8% increase on all four domestic inclining blocks from 1 July 2026. Block 1 (0–100 kWh) moved from 297.90 c to 324.12 c/kWh and Block 4 (above 650 kWh) from 409.48 c to 445.51 c/kWh, excl. VAT.

What does Tshwane charge solar homes every month?

A registered domestic SSEG customer pays a fixed R324.00 a month excl. VAT (about R372.60 incl.) in 2026/27, up from R297.80. Exported energy is credited at 94.13 c/kWh excl. VAT under the NERSA-approved schedule.

How long does solar take to pay back in Pretoria now?

A R100 000 hybrid saving about R1 965 a month pays back in roughly four years at flat 2026/27 tariffs, and in about three and three-quarter years if tariffs rise 8.8% again in each of the next few years.

Did Tshwane business tariffs rise more than household tariffs?

Yes. Small single-phase business energy jumped 26.22% to 401.80 c/kWh excl. VAT while the monthly basic charge was cut from R1 923.96 to R1 000. Any shop or office using more than about 1 100 kWh a month pays more, and every solar kWh it produces is worth 26% more than last year.