The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has published new timelines for the submission and approval of municipal electricity tariff applications for the 2026/27 financial year.

For municipal tariff applications, municipalities or distributors must submit their electricity tariff applications to Nersa by no later than March 31, 2026.

Nersa's public consultation process on municipal tariff applications will conclude on April 21. It will finalise the consideration of the municipal electricity tariff applications and communicate its decisions on or before May 11.

The timelines will ensure Nersa considers the municipal tariffs timeously and will enable municipalities to implement approved tariffs at the beginning of the 2026/27 municipal financial year on July 1.

These timelines follow the recent approval of State-owned Eskom’s Retail Tariff and Structural Adjustment (ERTSA) application and the judgment of the North Gauteng High Court issued on February 20, which amended the timelines set by the same court on December 4, 2025, in terms of the approval of the ERTSA and municipalities’ tariff applications.

Nersa approved Eskom’s ERTSA application on March 5, which authorised a 9.01% tariff increase and will be effective from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.

The municipal tariff applications are available on Nersa's website for review by affected stakeholders and members of the public wishing to submit written comments.

The revised timelines are intended to ensure regulatory certainty, transparency and the orderly implementation of electricity tariffs for the upcoming financial year.

“Nersa remains committed to fulfilling its statutory mandate of regulating the electricity sector in a manner that balances cost-reflective tariffs, consumer protection and the financial sustainability of the electricity supply industry,” the regulator says.