Free Electricity in South Africa – Updated May2026

In South Africa, did you know that you may apply for free electricity?

How to apply for Free Electricity (FBE)?

In 2003, the Free Basic Electricity Policy was implemented.

It is the sole tool that offers homeowners 50 kWh of free power each month to help them with their electrical needs.

The funding for financial assistance is provided by the National Treasury to local municipalities to carry out the roll-out of FBE to needy households.

Every municipality has its own set of FBE regulations.

There are two sets of guidelines: a consumption cap and a test of household affordability.

A home must be on the lifeline tariff and adhere to the following consumption restrictions to get free electricity from the City of Cape Town-supplied areas:

• Customers will receive a free basic allocation of 60 units of electricity when the household’s monthly power consumption does not exceed 250 kWh.
• Customers will receive a free basic allotment of 25 units of electricity if their family purchases between 250kWh and 450kWh per month.

The free power part won’t be provided to the family if the average monthly electricity usage over a 12-month period exceeds 450 kWh.

Families are protected from being thrown off the FBE system by using the 12-month average since they use less energy in the summer but more in the winter.

the following holds true for regions in the greater Cape Town metropolitan area that get their energy straight from Eskom:

Customers will get a free basic allocation of 50kWh when the total amount of power obtained throughout a 12-month period does not exceed 250kWh per month on average.

The government offers a variety of free basic services (such as water, sanitation, and garbage collection) with the goal of enhancing the lives of the most disadvantaged people, including FBE.

A household must be categorized as an impoverished home or meet the requirements for the pensioner’s rebate as set out by the local governments in order to be eligible for the basket of free basic services.

This implies that a separate application is not available for FBE.

A household should be placed on the lifeline tariff, which is a subsidized tariff, after it qualifies for the pensioner’s rebate or impoverished status, and then immediately qualify for FBE, if they meet the requirements.

• Have a prepaid meter and
• Use less than 450 kWh per month on average when they get electricity from the City of Cape Town or
• use less than 250 kwh when they receive electricity from Eskom.

Households that don’t qualify for indigent status or the pensioner’s rebate can still try to apply to be put on the Lifeline tariff and to get FBE by logging a query with the City’s call center or any City walk-in-center.

There is no application form for this.

The following is a list of the requirements for impoverished status, the pensioner‘s rebate, lifeline tariff, and FBE.

How To Be Legible for Free Electricity in South Africa.

Families must be enrolled in the Lifeline Electricity Tariff, be listed as impoverished, or be eligible for the Pensioner’s Rebate on service charges.

Lifeline Electricity Tariff

• Municipal property value less than R400 000.
• Have a pre-paid meter
• You need to apply
• use less than 450kWhs / Units of Electricity on average each month over 12 months.

Registered as Indigent

• Use your home mainly for residential purposes
• Use less than 450kWhs / Units of Electricity on average each month over 12 months.
• Have a pre-paid meter
• You need to apply.
• Earn a combined income of less than R 7500.
• Are the registered owner of the property and live at the house full-time.

Qualify for Pensioner’s Rebate

• You need to apply.
• are dependent on a state pension or social grant, and are 60 years or older earning R4 500 or less gross income a month, you may qualify for a 100% rates rebate and the Lifeline Electricity Tariff.
• Pensioners aged 60 years or older earning more than R4 501, but no more than R7 500 a month, may qualify for a 95% or 90% rates rebate and the lifeline electricity tariff.
• Use less than 450kWhs / Units of Electricity on average each month over 12 months.
• Have a pre-paid meter

Home Power Tariff (ESKOM)

• You need to apply
• use less than 250kWh / Units of Electricity on average each month over 12 months.

Households Free Electricity

If a household is in arrears on any municipal accounts, they are not eligible to qualify for the pensioner rebate or impoverished status.

Before a household may apply, this has to be resolved.

Households that are behind on their payments can talk to the city about setting up a payment schedule.

For consumers, the City may write off arrears as an isolated incident.

To determine how much power a residence has been consuming, it will be verified to see if it has an outdated account meter.

They won’t be eligible for FBE if they consistently exceed the permitted quantity of use.

Customers of the City of Cape Town who are eligible for FBE will have a pre-paid meter placed at no cost to the City.

Do You Qualify for Free Electricity?

If the household is registered and eligible for free electricity in South Africa, they can call the FBE token number on their smartphone by entering *269*120# or *130*869#.

Alternately, ask your nearby dealer for the FBE.

To receive your FBE, you are not required to purchase power from the seller.

Customers who are unclear if they are eligible for the FBE should contact their ward councillor or community representative or go to their neighborhood municipal offices.