Ekurhuleni electricity tariffs for business: Tariff C, D and E

Business and industrial electricity accounts in the City of Ekurhuleni are commonly billed on one of three tariffs. Tariff C charges energy, demand, a network access charge and a fixed charge with no time-of-use split. Tariff E adds time-of-use, so energy costs more in peak periods and less off-peak. Tariff D is reserved for sites with a notified capacity of 1 MVA or more. Which one is cheapest depends on when your site uses its energy, which is why Augos prices a site's measured interval data against every tariff it qualifies for before recommending a change.

What is Tariff C in Ekurhuleni?

Tariff C is Ekurhuleni's business and industrial tariff without time-of-use. It bills four things: energy in kWh at one rate regardless of time of day, demand in kVA, a network access charge in kVA, and a fixed charge. On the bill it reads "ELC-BUS/IND 230/400V".

Because Tariff C has no time-of-use split, a kWh used in a weekday peak period costs the same as a kWh used at night. That suits a site whose load cannot move out of peak periods. It costs a site that already runs much of its load at night or over weekends, because that site is paying a flat rate for energy it could buy cheaper off-peak.

What is Tariff E, and how does it differ from Tariff C?

Tariff E is Ekurhuleni's time-of-use tariff. It charges energy separately for peak, standard and off-peak periods, and keeps the demand charge, network access charge and fixed charge. On the bill it reads "ELE->230/400V <=11KV", with separate peak, standard, off-peak and demand registers.

The difference between the two tariffs is the energy charge. On Tariff E a site pays more for peak energy and less for off-peak energy than a flat rate. Time-of-use suits sites that can keep load out of peak, especially in winter. A site that cannot do this can end up paying more on Tariff E than on Tariff C, so the comparison has to be made on the site's own half-hourly data, not on an average.

Who qualifies for Tariff D?

Tariff D requires a notified or contracted capacity of 1 MVA (1,000 kVA) or more. The capacity rule matters more than the rates. Augos modelled Tariff D for two Pioneer Foods sites in Ekurhuleni, Olifantsfontein and Clayville, with Augos projections of approximately R1,000,000 and R823,037 a year. Neither site proceeded, because both would have had to take demand above 1 MVA to qualify. Taking on capacity a site does not need to reach a cheaper tariff can cancel out the saving, so Tariff D is worth modelling only where a site already needs that capacity.

How do you change tariff in Ekurhuleni?

A tariff change starts with a letter from the account holder to the City of Ekurhuleni electricity department, for example the Tembisa office. The letter asks for the new tariff "from the next billing cycle". When Augos manages the application, the letter names Augos as the client's appointed representative, and Augos follows the request through with the municipality.

The change is not complete when the letter is accepted. The proof is a bill that shows the new tariff structure. For a move to Tariff E, that means the bill shows separate peak, standard and off-peak energy lines and the "ELE->230/400V <=11KV" description. Until that bill arrives, the site is still paying the old tariff.

What billing errors should you look for on an Ekurhuleni account?

Augos sees three recurring problems on Ekurhuleni business accounts:

• Estimated readings followed by large catch-up rebills. When meters are not read, the account is estimated and later corrected in one large rebill. The rebill can be wrong in its own right.
• The wrong voltage band. A site supplied above 230/400 V and up to 11 kV can be charged at the 230/400 V rates instead.
• Acknowledged credits never applied. A credit can be confirmed in writing and still not reach the account.

A tariff change and billing accuracy are separate questions. A site can be on the right tariff and still be billed incorrectly, so Augos checks each bill against measured consumption.

Real cases from Ekurhuleni

Much Asphalt. Augos analysed the plant's City of Ekurhuleni invoices from August 2024 to January 2025 and recommended a move from Tariff C to Tariff E. The May 2025 report projected a saving of approximately R540,000 a year (Augos calculation, 2024/25 rates). The change took effect on 1 July 2025, and bills from November 2025 show the time-of-use structure. Comparing the billed Tariff E amounts with Tariff C recalculated at 2025/26 rates, Augos calculated a difference of R26,592.85 in October 2025, R41,779.54 in November 2025 and R36,972.00 in December 2025: R105,344.39 in total, or an average of R35,114.80 a month (ex VAT). Separately, Augos found that for 1 August to 1 September 2024 the site was charged the 230/400 V direct-from-substation rates instead of the band above 230/400 V and up to 11 kV, an overcharge Augos calculated at R16,272.43 for that month. A query was recommended. Read the Much Asphalt case study.

Engen Highveld One Stop, R21 highway. The City of Ekurhuleni's metering contractor confirmed in January 2024 that 220,692 kWh had to be credited to the account after a November 2023 bill came in far above measured consumption. By January 2025 the credit had not been applied. Augos, engaged in January 2025 for tariff and billing analysis, identified the unapplied credit, quantified it and prepared the claim. The City's rebill workings, dated 26 June 2025, reversed R1,274,797.68 ex VAT of original charges for September to December 2023 and re-billed R897,445.00 ex VAT on Tariff C, a difference of R377,352.68 ex VAT. The client confirmed the refund appeared on its bill. Augos's October 2025 bill verification also found that a catch-up rebill of 952,296 kWh for 15 April to 30 November 2024 exceeded Augos-measured consumption by 93,657.72 kWh (10.91%), and a dispute was recommended. Augos has also recommended a move from Tariff C to Tariff E for the site (Augos projection approximately R285,000 a year, September 2024 report), and the client requested Tariff E on 19 November 2025. Read the Engen Highveld case study.

What to check before you apply

• Your current tariff. Find the tariff description on your bill: "ELC-BUS/IND 230/400V" is Tariff C, "ELE->230/400V <=11KV" is Tariff E.
• Your voltage band. Confirm the bill charges the band you are actually supplied at.
• Your load profile. Use at least a year of half-hourly data to see how much energy falls in peak periods, especially in winter.
• Your capacity. If Tariff D looks attractive, check whether you already need 1 MVA or more. If not, the extra capacity may cost more than the tariff saves.
• Open credits and rebills. Check that confirmed credits have been applied and that catch-up rebills match measured consumption.
• The first bills after the change. Confirm the new structure appears and the readings are actual, not estimated.

Augos has maintained a South African electricity tariff database for 18 years and manages tariff applications with the City of Ekurhuleni on the client's behalf. Read more about tariff optimisation and bill verification.

To find out which Ekurhuleni tariff suits your site, book a demo or call Augos on 087 093 6174.