“Don’t Buy in Bulk “: Joburg Expert Shares How People on Prepaid Electricity Can Cut Down Costs

• A Johannesburg electricity expert revealed that prepaid users are paying more for electricity based on when they buy units and how much they've used
• The expert advised against buying electricity in bulk towards the month-end, suggesting people buy smaller amounts and wait
• South Africans shared their frustrations in the comments, with some getting vastly different units for the same money depending on their usage patterns and municipal areas

A Johannesburg electricity expert has shared game-changing advice for prepaid users that could save them hundreds of rands each month

Content creator @djwesreddy, who regularly shares electricity-saving tips and appliance usage information, posted a video at the end of June that's got Mzansi rethinking how they buy their electricity.

In his video, he explained the block tariff system that's costing South Africans more money than they realise. He told viewers:

"If you are on prepaid electricity in South Africa, this is one of the most important things I can tell you to save you money. You're paying more for electricity based on when you're buying it and how much you've used."

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The expert warned against buying electricity in bulk towards the end of the month, especially around payday, because you end up purchasing at the highest tariff rates. Instead, he suggested buying smaller amounts to get through to the month-end, then waiting until the first of the month to buy larger amounts when the tariffs reset to the cheapest rates.

Mzansi reacts to electricity expert's money-saving tips

@Tete gushed:

"Viva uncapped electricity, viva to us🥂🍻"

@visgov shared:

"I get 29KW for R100, doesn't matter when I buy. Being ripped off..."

@Shiko Mahapa wrote:

"I get 270 units for R1000✋🏽😭😭"

@Nomsa Baloyi explained:

"The timing of your electricity purchase doesn't affect your cost; what matters is your total usage. Once you exceed 500 or 1000 kWh, your tariff changes to a higher rate."

@avriannedavids4 added:

"Today, I bought R500 units were only 246 units."

@Mi***li asked:

"I don't use more than 100 units per month; however, I pay R3.396/kWh 🤔 So I buy for R400, R52.17 goes towards VAT, R347.83 for electricity and then get 102.40 units. Shouldn't I be charged R2.50/kWh since I am always on block 1?"

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@G3rsh01 noted:

"R900 gets me 600 units, but I wait 2 months to get it😉"

Why prepaid electricity gets more expensive

According to experts at Prepaid24, over 85% of South Africa's municipalities use step tariffs to encourage people to use less electricity. The system works by increasing the cost of electricity as you move through different purchase brackets during the month. For example, your first 50 units might cost R2.67 each, but once you exceed that, the next units cost R2.98 each, and so on.

The key thing many people don't know is that these tariffs reset to the cheapest rate at the beginning of each calendar month, regardless of when you make your purchase.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

Other stories about SA electricity costs

• Briefly News recently reported on a woman who compared electricity units bought with R300 in 2014 versus 2025, but the shocking difference between the two years left Mzansi speechless about how much prices have increased.
• A South African man calculated the monthly electricity cost of running a Wi-Fi router, but his findings sparked a heated debate about whether the small savings are worth the inconvenience of switching it off.
• A man broke down the surprisingly low cost of charging a phone each month, but his calculation revealed something about household electricity usage that most people never consider.

Source: Briefly News