Eskom requested a 36.15% tariff hike for 2025/26, but the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) approved 12.74%. Further increases of 5.36% and 6.19% are set for April 2026 and April 2027, respectively. (Getty Images/ hxdyl)
With electricity costs rising by over 12% on 1 April and VAT increasing by 0.5% in May, South African households are increasingly turning to solar power to cut costs and ease financial pressure.
Eskom requested a 36.15% tariff hike for 2025/26, but the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) approved 12.74%. Further increases of 5.36% and 6.19% are set for April 2026 and April 2027, respectively.
Effects on your household budget
LookSee, Standard Bank’s home efficiency platform, states that households paying R12,000 annually – or R1 000 monthly – for electricity in 2022 will face a rise to R14,238 from 1 April, with costs projected to reach R21,302 by 2027/28.
“Each tariff increase is above inflation and far beyond household income growth. People might shorten their showers or reduce electricity use, but eventually, there’s no more room to save. This seriously threatens a family’s financial sustainability,” said Marc du Plessis, Executive Head of LookSee.
Simplifying energy savings
LookSee, a platform designed to help homeowners save money with energy-efficient solutions, provides resources solar power like and water heating solutions, along with tools to help achieve significant utility bill savings.
“We believe in empowering homeowners to create spaces that remain comfortable and sustainable for both current and future generations. Energy efficiency isn’t just about availability but also affordability. LookSee bridges the gap with offerings that are backed by savings calculators that make the investment case easy to understand,” explained du Plessis.
The platform has invested heavily in the development of these sophisticated savings calculators in order to provide households with reliable expectations as well as its first-of-its-kind Savings Guarantee on home solar installations.
“One of the areas that we identified was lacking in the market was that savings figures were largely quoted based on peak performance or factory conditions. This, of course, leads to disappointment. With our calculators we can now provide a far more accurate insight into a specific household’s performance expectations and then offer a personalised guarantee of the savings they’ll achieve over their first six months,” he said.
How the Savings Guarantee works
The calculations take into account factors like location, household energy usage, and roof orientation to establish detailed savings projections. Customers who don’t achieve the expected savings within six months are eligible for a R2,000 cashback..
“ Importantly, we also work closely with households after the installation to make sure they have the tools and insights necessary to make the most of their new solar system,” added du Plessis.
This post-installation support includes access to advanced optimisation software that automatically adjusts inverter and battery settings to reduce grid power usage; an easy to understand guide on how to schedule loads to make best use of the sun; and regular remote monitoring to identify any issues of opportunities to increase savings.
Financing your solar switch
As a subsidiary of Standard Bank, LookSee is able to offer a wide range of flexible finance options to customers, although du Plessis is quick to point out that its offerings are open to all households, regardless of who they bank with.
In addition to assisting households to finance their energy-efficiency improvements through enhanced home loan and standard personal loan offerings, Standard Bank has launched a fit-for-purpose Energy Loan to help households invest in solar, backup and energy-efficient water heating solutions.
Featuring preferential interest rates and flexible repayment plans with no penalties for early settlement, the Energy Loan fills the gap left behind by the end of government’s Energy Bounce Back Loan Scheme.
“Our bigger purpose with LookSee is to create generational impact. Every family deserves a better living standard, and investments in solar contribute to lasting comfort and value,” du Plessis concluded.
Click here to discover your guaranteed savings on a LookSee solar installation.
This post was sponsored by LookSee and produced by Brand Story for News24.
