Good news for new solar users

Eskom on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to easing the transition to solar energy by extending its zero-registration fee policy for its customers.

According to the power utility, the initiative is aimed at assisting residential owners of Small-Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) systems.

These include photovoltaic (PV) solar installations, helping them comply with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) regulations.

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Zero fees for most households until 2026

“Solar registration fees continue to remain zero for the majority of Eskom’s residential customers and include a free smart meter until March 2026,” Eskom stated.

Since March 2023, households installing PV systems of up to 50kVA in Eskom-supplied areas have been exempt from registration fees, connection charges, and the cost of a smart meter.

The power utility confirmed that these exemptions would continue for the next year, allowing more customers to transition to solar energy without additional financial burdens.

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Savings of more than R9 000

According to Eskom, typical PV installations of up to 16kVA could save as much as R9 132 through the exemption from connection fees and tariff fees.

“In addition to these savings, households will continue to receive credits for exporting energy to the Eskom grid under the NERSA approved Homeflex tariff, providing further financial benefits,” it said.

This tariff allows customers to earn credits for surplus power fed back into Eskom’s network.

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Registration process

In line with NERSA regulations, all SSEG system owners in Eskom-supplied areas must register their installations, even if they do not export power to the grid.

Those in municipal-supplied areas are required to register with their respective municipalities.

Eskom outlined a simplified three-step registration process:

• Apply for SSEG Registration: Send an email to your provincial Eskom office (e.g. KwaZuluNatal@eskom.co.za).
• Make Payment and Schedule Installation
• Receive Payment Details and Deposit Option.

Households that are completely off-grid and not connected to Eskom’s supply are exempt from registration but must provide proof of independent operation.

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Safety requirements

Eskom urged all its customers to adhere to the safety measures when installing solar PV systems. Customers must ensure that:

• The equipment meets South African standards (NRS 097-2).
• A registered engineer or technologist signs off on the installation.
• A valid Certificate of Compliance (CoC) is obtained for internal wiring.

In addition, the utility provided the Small Power Use tool on its website to assist customers in determining savings under the Homeflex tariff structure.

“The grid’s safety has become a critical focus for both performance and the safety of the employees working on it,” Eskom stated.

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