Eskom tariff update – Ruraflex
What the new Ruraflex tariff means for your farm
NERSA has approved Eskom’s latest tariff increase. If your farm is on the Ruraflex tariff, here is a plain-language
breakdown of what changes from this month – and what you can do about it.
8.0%
Energy Rate Increase
8.8%
Fixed Rate Increase
51.8%
Generation Capacity Charge
1 Apr
Effective Date
Every April, Eskom adjusts its tariffs following approval from NERSA. This year’s approved increase is 8.89%. For Ruraflex customers, that translates to an 8% rise on energy rates and 8.8% on fixed charges – with one line item that breaks sharply from the pack, and is worth understanding before your next invoice arrives.
What you pay per kilowatt-hour
| ACTIVE ENERGY CHARGE — R/KWH (EXCL. VAT) — RURAFLEX ≤300KM / <500V | |||
| TIME OF USE | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| HIGH DEMAND SEASON — JUNE, JULY, AUGUST | |||
| Peak (weekdays 06:00–08:00 & 17:00–20:00) | R 6.9099 | R 7.4619 | +8.0% |
| Standard | R 1.7275 | R 1.8655 | +8.0% |
| Off-peak | R 1.1516 | R 1.2436 | +8.0% |
| LOW DEMAND SEASON — SEPTEMBER THROUGH MAY | |||
| Peak | R 2.8677 | R 3.0968 | +8.0% |
| Standard | R 1.6123 | R 1.7411 | +8.0% |
| Off-peak | R 1.1516 | R 1.2436 | +8.0% |
To put this in perspective: running a 30 kW irrigation pump for 4 hours during a winter peak window now costs approximately R895 for that session – up from R829 last year. Across a full irrigation season and across multiple pumps, the cumulative impact on input costs adds up fast.
The fixed charges on your bill
Regardless of how much electricity you consume, certain charges appear on every bill. These cover network access, administration, and other Eskom cost recoveries. They all increase by 8.8% – except one.
| FIXED, CAPACITY & OTHER CHARGES — RURAFLEX ≤300KM / <500V | ||||
| CHARGE | UNIT | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network demand charge | R/kWh | R 0.4832 | R 0.5255 | +8.8% |
| Legacy charge | R/kWh | R 0.2300 | R 0.2501 | +8.7% |
| Ancillary service charge | R/kWh | R 0.0041 | R 0.0045 | +9.8% |
| Network capacity charge | R/kVA/month | R 52.04 | R 56.60 | +8.8% |
| Service charge | R/POD/day | R 64.28 | R 69.91 | +8.8% |
| Administration charge | R/POD/day | R 12.40 | R 13.49 | +8.8% |
| Generation capacity charge | R/kVA/month | R 3.34 | R 5.07 | +51.8% |
The generation capacity charge jumps 51.8% – from R3.34 to R5.07 per kVA per month. It looks small in isolation, but it scales directly with your contracted connection size.
A farm with a 200 kVA supply pays an extra R346 per month on this line alone – R4,152 over the year – compared to 2025/26.
The Bigger Picture
Why this keeps happening and what you can do
This is the latest in a long series of annual Eskom increases. Over the past decade, agricultural electricity costs have more than doubled. For farms where electricity is a major input – irrigation, cold chain, grain handling, livestock operations – this compounds directly against margins every year.
Solar PV deployed on a farm can offset a substantial portion of daytime grid consumption – precisely during the hours that carry the highest tariff rates. Panels generate electricity at a fixed, predictable cost over a 20+ year lifespan. Every Eskom increase widens the savings gap in favour of solar.
A well-structured Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) lets you access that solar generation with no upfront capital. You pay only for the energy produced, at a rate agreed upfront with a fixed annual escalation – not a figure set by NERSA each April.
If your farm’s annual electricity spend exceeds R500,000, the solar business case is worth modelling now. The new tariff rates make it materially more compelling than it was twelve months ago.