AMPROTEQEskom tariffs, 2007/08 to 2027/28.
Seventeen years of Eskom price increases, what NERSA has already approved for the next two, and what that means for a battery.
Published 13 October 2026
The data behind the chart
| Financial year | Average tariff, c/kWh | NERSA average increase | Tariff index | CPI index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007/08 | 19.9 | 5.90 % | 100 | 100 |
| 2008/09 | 25.7 | 27.50 % | 129 | 110 |
| 2009/10 | 33.4 | 31.30 % | 168 | 118 |
| 2010/11 | 43.9 | 24.80 % | 221 | 123 |
| 2011/12 | 52.5 | 25.80 % | 264 | 129 |
| 2012/13 | 61.2 | 16.00 % | 308 | 136 |
| 2013/14 | 65.5 | 8.00 % | 329 | 144 |
| 2014/15 | 70.1 | 8.00 % | 352 | 153 |
| 2015/16 | 78.3 | 12.69 % | 394 | 160 |
| 2016/17 | 84.7 | 9.40 % | 426 | 170 |
| 2017/18 | 86.1 | 2.20 % | 433 | 179 |
| 2018/19 | 88.5 | 5.23 % | 445 | 187 |
| 2019/20 | 100.1 | 13.87 % | 503 | 195 |
| 2020/21 | 111.3 | 8.76 % | 560 | 201 |
| 2021/22 | 128.2 | 15.06 % | 645 | 210 |
| 2022/23 | 143.5 | 9.61 % | 722 | 225 |
| 2023/24 | 169.4 | 18.65 % | 852 | 239 |
| 2024/25 | 190.3 | 12.74 % | 957 | 250 |
| 2025/26 | 211.9 | 12.74 % | 1066 | 258 |
| 2026/27 (approved) | 230.5 | 8.76 % | 1159 | – |
| 2027/28 (approved) | 250.9 | 8.83 % | 1262 | – |
What happened
Eskom's average standard tariff (excluding international and negotiated-pricing customers) rose from 19.9 c/kWh in 2007/08 to 211.9 c/kWh in 2025/26: a 966 % increase, against 157 % for the consumer price index over the same years. The steepest years were 2008/09 to 2011/12, when NERSA approved increases of 25 to 31 % a year to fund new generation.
What is already decided
On 5 March 2026 NERSA redetermined Eskom's allowed revenue after correcting a R54.7 billion error in the regulatory asset base. Direct customers pay 8.76 % more from 1 April 2026 and a further 8.83 % from 1 April 2027; municipalities pay 9.01 % more from 1 July 2026, and pass increases on to their own customers through municipal tariffs.
What it means for storage
A battery does not change what Eskom charges; it changes when a site buys and how much capacity it needs. Its value rises with the gap between peak and off-peak prices and with demand charges, and both scale with the tariff. That is why our proposals escalate tariffs at 9 % a year unless your site's history says otherwise, and why we price all twelve months rather than the winter peaks alone.
Sources: Eskom Distribution, Historical average prices and increase (tariff history workbook, 2026) · Eskom, Eskom implements NERSA decision for Financial Year 2027 (March 2026) · Engineering News, Nersa approves higher electricity hikes for 2026/27 (10 March 2026) · World Bank, Consumer price index, South Africa (FP.CPI.TOTL, source Stats SA). Financial years run April to March; CPI is the calendar-year average. Approved years apply NERSA's average increase to the 2025/26 average tariff and are an estimate.
Start with your meter data.
Twelve months of interval data, your tariff schedule and your notified maximum demand are enough for a first sizing, an indicative capex and a PPA rate, within five working days, at no cost.