An April 2025 Eskom electricity tariff hike will see prices increase by 12.7% from next week, Tuesday 1 April 2025. No, this is no April Fool’s joke. Unfortunately, the April 2025 Eskom electricity price hike has been approved for some time now. But that will be scant consolation when the financial pressure comes to bare on households already struggling to make ends meet.
Despite public outcry, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) approved the April 2025 Eskom electricity hike, citing the utility’s need to recover operational costs and address its massive debt burden. So, how much more will average South Africans have to fork out when the 12.7% tariff increase takes effect next week?
APRIL 2025 ESKOM ELECTRICITY INCREASE
While every household’s electricity usage is unique, of course, we did some basic sums on how much you’ll be paying next month. Tariffs differ across provinces, whether you’re on prepaid or metered, and how your home is zoned. Nevertheless, we’ve calculated that the average household using prepaid electricity will spend in the region of R140 more per month. This may not sound like a lot, but over a full year that’s R1 680. An amount that lower-income homes those living near the poverty line simply cannot afford.
Furthermore, the current average Eskom tariff is approximately R2.20 per kWh. An April 2025 Eskom electricity hike sees it increase to R2.48 per kWh. Therefore, a household consuming 500 kWh per month will see their electricity bill rise from R1 100 to approximately R1 240, or R140 per month.
METERED VS PREPAID CUSTOMERS
Metered customers face a more complex calculation as their bills include both fixed charges and consumption-based rates. A typical middle-income household with a conventional meter currently pays around R1 500. However, after the April 2025 Eskom electricity hike, they can expect to pay approximately R1 690, an additional R190 per month, or R2 280 annually.
For cash-strapped South Africans grappling with a potential 1% VAT increase over two years, this is essentially another tax on overburdened citizens. Sadly, a combination of consumer inflation, wide-scale unemployment and stagnant wage growth will continue to reduce purchasing power for average South Africans.
INTERMITTENT LOAD-SHEDDING IN 2025
Moreover, the April 2025 Eskom electricity hike comes as South Africans begin to experience an unwelcome return to load-shedding, too. After respite during most of 2024, February and March 2025 outages have seen unplanned maintenance issues increase. Once again, this raises the issue of paying more for a state-run service that continues to slowly deteriorate.
Economists warn that the 12.7% increase will have ripple effects throughout the economy, especially for those living on the poverty line. Businesses have no choice but to pass additional costs onto consumers. Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa defended the Eskom increase as ‘unfortunate but necessary,’ promising that the additional revenue would help stabilise the grid and improve service delivery.
Heading into the winter months, when electricity consumption typically increases, many will have no other option but to manage their electricity usage wisely to absorb the tariff increase.
CAN YOU AFFORD THE APRIL 2025 ELECTRICITY HIKE?
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