Prepaid Electricity Calculator (South Africa) ☆ Stoor

Why this calculator asks which tariff you're on

South Africa does not have one electricity price. If Eskom bills you directly — common in rural areas, peri-urban townships and smaller towns — you pay Eskom's own published Homelight tariff. If you live in one of the metros (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini and others), your municipality sets its own tariff, approved separately by NERSA, and it can differ meaningfully from Eskom's rate.

This tool defaults to Eskom's Homelight 20A rate because it is the one tariff with a single national schedule. If you're on a municipal meter, select "I know my own rate" and type in what your last prepaid receipt or municipal bill shows per kWh — the units-per-rand arithmetic is identical either way, only the rate changes.

How to find your own rate if you're not sure

• Check a recent prepaid token receipt. Most municipal vending slips print the rate or the units bought per rand near the bottom.
• Check your municipal account if you're on a conventional (non-prepaid) meter — the tariff schedule is usually listed on the bill or the municipality's own website.
• Ask at the pay point. Municipal cashiers and most prepaid vending apps can quote the current rate directly.

Since April 2026, Homelight is a flat rate

Eskom used to charge Homelight customers more per unit the more they bought in a month (an "inclining block tariff"). From 1 April 2026 that structure was removed for Homelight — you now pay the same rate per kWh no matter how much you load, or how many times you buy during the month. That is what makes a simple rand-in, units-out calculation accurate for direct Eskom customers, without needing to track what you've already bought this month.

Some municipal tariffs still use inclining blocks reset monthly. If yours does, this calculator's answer for a single purchase is still correct — but your effective rate for the month as a whole depends on your total usage, which your municipality's own tariff table will show.

Ways to use fewer units

• Geyser timers — water heating is typically the single largest load in a South African home. A timer limiting heating to an hour or two before use rather than 24 hours can cut this meaningfully.
• Kettle over stove for boiling small amounts of water — a kettle heats water faster with less wasted energy than a stove plate.
• LED bulbs use a fraction of the electricity of older incandescent or halogen bulbs for the same light output.
• Standby power — TVs, decoders and chargers left plugged in draw power even when off. Switching off at the wall adds up over a month.

Frequently asked questions

Why isn't my municipality's tariff built in?

Because there is no single number that would be correct for everyone. Rates differ by council, and some still use block tiers Eskom's Homelight tariff no longer has. Rather than guess on your behalf, this tool lets you enter your own rate directly.

Does the Homelight rate include VAT?

Yes — Eskom's published Homelight tariff is VAT-inclusive. You don't add anything on top of the rate shown.

What is Free Basic Electricity?

Many municipalities give qualifying low-income households a fixed number of free units each month (commonly the first 50 kWh), on registration as an indigent household. Eligibility and the exact allocation vary by council, so this calculator does not assume it — if you're registered, your municipality applies it automatically before your paid units are calculated.

Why does "units already have" matter?

If you're topping up before your existing units run out, this shows your total balance after the purchase — useful for knowing how far a top-up will actually stretch you, not just what this one purchase buys.

Keep the rest of your budget in view

Electricity is one line in a bigger picture. See what a small monthly saving is worth over time with the savings calculator, or get a full read on where your money stands with your financial health check.

Sources: Eskom's Homelight 20A and 60A tariffs effective 1 April 2026 (NERSA-approved), corroborated across independent published transcriptions of Eskom's own schedule. Municipal tariffs are set individually by each council and are not covered by this calculator — use your own municipality's published tariff or a recent receipt. General information, not financial advice.