Pretoria: The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has announced an extension for the submission of comments and supporting evidence regarding its review of fixed electricity charges. This extension pertains to the impact of the Fixed Charges, the Generation Capacity Charge (GCC), and other related charges applied by electricity distributors such as Eskom and various municipalities. The review was initiated in response to widespread concerns from stakeholders and customers over the level and structure of these charges.
According to South African Government News Agency, the market inquiry commenced after the publication of the Terms of Reference (TOR) on 25 September 2025. It is being conducted under section 4(b)(ii) of the Electricity Regulation Act, 2006, and aims to evaluate the formulation and impact of fixed and capacity-based charges across the electricity distribution sector. The inquiry particularly focuses on situations where charges have led to increases surpassing the approved 12.74% tariff adjustment for Eskom.
Regulator Member responsible for Electricity Regulation, Nomfundo Maseti, emphasized the importance of the matter and the need for comprehensive stakeholder input. Maseti stated that the extension is granted to ensure thorough submissions without compromising the process timeline. Initially, stakeholders were given until 25 October 2025 to submit their inputs, but the deadline has now been extended to 8 November 2025, following requests for more time to prepare detailed, evidence-based submissions.
NERSA highlighted that this extension acknowledges the complexity of the issues at hand and ensures that all affected parties, including Eskom, municipalities, industry associations, and customers, can contribute meaningfully. The requirements and procedures for submissions remain as outlined in the original notice. The TOR document can be requested via email or accessed on the NERSA website.
The public hearing for oral representations will proceed as planned on 17 November 2025, and will be conducted virtually via MS Teams and livestreamed on X and YouTube.