Eskom’s warning for South Africans with rooftop solar – even those off-grid

Power utility Eskom has doubled down on its intentions to come after households with grid-tied rooftop solar in South Africa, saying they have until March 2026 to qualify for exemption from high registration fees.

Even systems that are independent and operating off-grid still have to supply proof of this to the utility, it said.

Eskom has been pushing to get household rooftop solar systems registered and properly integrated with the national grid.

Dismissing critics’ claims—who said the utility has been underhanded and lying about its awareness campaigns—the group said it has been informing customers about this move since 2020.

Eskom said customer engagements in 2020 were followed by additional reading material along with bills from May 2021. It then held provincial campaigns with solar bodies and associations, as well as media drives.

These all intensified in 2023, it said, all in the name of securing the grid.

“With more and more solar systems pushing energy onto the grid, the safety of the grid has become a critical focus for both performance and the safety of staff working on it,” it said.

“Eskom remains committed to the seamless integration of Small-Scale Embedded Generators (SSEG) into its network while ensuring adherence to all regulatory and safety guidelines.

“To facilitate this process, Eskom continues to support the registration of all grid-tied installations in accordance with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) requirements”

The utility said that residential customers with unregistered SSEG installations up to 50kW (typically 5 to 10kW for households) could qualify for an exemption from registration-related fees (application, tariff conversion, and connection fees) until March 2026.

After this period, standard charges will apply.

Reports from solar users trying to register with Eskom claimed that the cost to become compliant was anywhere from R27,000 to R50,000 or more.

Eskom said this exemption was granted during severe load shedding periods, in response to the Energy Action Plan, adding that the goal was to help mitigate the impact of load shedding.

Who needs to register

Critics have argued that not all rooftop solar systems would qualify as SSEGs if they do not feed back to the grid or are set up in certain ways, like a generator, that makes them effectively ‘independent’ from the grid.

However, Eskom dismissed these claims, stressing that all SSEG installations that operate alongside Eskom’s supply, even those not exporting power back into the grid, must be registered with Eskom or NERSA.

Even generators that operate independently from the grid have to deal with Eskom.

Generators that operate entirely off-grid and are not connected to Eskom’s electricity network are not required to register, but owners must provide proof that their systems function independently of Eskom’s supply.

“As a licensed electricity distributor, Eskom ensures that all connections—both load and generation—comply with the required codes, standards, and guidelines set by NERSA.

“Adhering to these technical standards is crucial for maintaining network security, ensuring the safety of field personnel, and protecting the public,” it said.

Municipal-supplied customers are required to contact their local network providers for the applicable process and requirements.

The group previously stated that households who do not register their systems face penalties in addition to incurring the full charges involved with becoming compliant.

If homeowners do not register by March 2026, they could face penalties, including a fine of about R6,052, it warned.