South Africans are paying more for electricity despite using less, as rising fixed charges and municipal tariffs create a new affordability crisis, according to GoSolr's latest Light Paper.
While load shedding has largely faded from daily headlines, a new challenge is emerging for South African households and businesses: the rising cost of simply staying connected to the electricity grid.
According to the latest Light Paper released by residential solar provider GoSolr, South Africa's electricity crisis has evolved from one of supply instability to an affordability crisis driven by escalating tariffs, growing fixed charges and inconsistent municipal pricing structures.
The report argued that many consumers are discovering that using less electricity no longer translates into meaningful savings, as fixed fees continue to rise regardless of consumption levels.
GoSolr's findings showed that electricity tariffs have increased by more than 1 100% since 2007. A typical Eskom customer consuming around 800kWh per month paid approximately R1 055 in 2014. By 2024, that figure had climbed to around R3 388 for the same level of usage.
