“They Deduct Your Electricity Money": Joburg Man Questions if Prepaid Electricity Is Worth It

• A Johannesburg man took to TikTok to ask whether prepaid electricity is actually saving people money
• He raised three specific issues around prepaid metres, including inconsistent unit amounts, hidden fees and whether municipalities can legally deduct money
• South Africans shared their own experiences, and the responses painted a very mixed picture about whether prepaid is actually the better option

A Johannesburg man sparked a big conversation about prepaid electricity after sharing his concerns on TikTok. He shared his thoughts on 19 April 2026 from his car, asking whether prepaid electricity is genuinely worth it, saying he was getting worried by what he was reading online.

He raised three issues in his video. First, he had heard that the number of units you receive changes depending on what day of the month you recharge. Second, he asked whether municipalities can legally take money from electricity purchases to pay off other arrears, like water or rates. Third, he questioned why the fees on prepaid recharges seem inconsistent and why customers only find out about them after they have already paid.

Read also

"Looks sketchy, but okay": SA woman takes Mzansi along on R30,000 mission to buy a car at auction

Is prepaid electricity actually cheaper?

According to a breakdown by personal finance writer Maya Fisher-French, prepaid metres can actually work out cheaper per month than a standard billing account because prepaid customers do not pay a monthly service or capacity charge. This can add hundreds of rands to a billed account each month. However, the rate per unit can be higher for prepaid users, and the incline block tariff system means the more electricity you buy at once, the more you pay per unit. Buying smaller amounts more regularly can help keep costs lower.

Can municipalities legally deduct from your prepaid electricity?

According to property law firm Van Deventer and Van Deventer, some municipalities are permitted to deduct a portion of prepaid electricity purchases to cover outstanding municipal arrears. The City of Cape Town, for example, has a credit control policy that allows this. However, the law requires that the municipality first notify the account holder and give them a chance to make a payment arrangement. If a payment arrangement has been accepted and the person has not defaulted, any deductions made after that would be unlawful.

Read also

"Leave him alone": SA defends small business owner after he was confronted over employees' salaries

Watch the TikTok clip below:

Mzansi weighs in on prepaid electricity

South Africans had a lot to say in the comments section on TikToker @thevijev's clip:

@Jermaine Menthatcook said:

"I'm not saving money, but at least I'm not shocked with a dodgy municipality account at the end of the month."

@SAMA FX wrote:

"We use R500 every 10 days because we buy on the banking app. If you buy via an agent, it is more expensive. When I didn't have prepaid, I paid about R2,000 to the body corporate."

@VON said:

"This has been happening in Cape Town for years. We suffer under the DA rule."

@ameerkhan wrote:

"I'm on prepaid in my rental flat. It's a smart metre. I have a 195L chest freezer, a double-door fridge, and a geyser attached to a heat pump, and my bill is R3,000 per month. Fees are 5% of each recharge."

@Ruweida said:

"No, it's more expensive. Way more. Everything people are saying is very true."

Read also

Mzansi furious as workers earning over R22,400pm are about to lose key workplace rights from May

More on South Africa's electricity crisis

• Briefly News recently reported on a Johannesburg energy expert who listed the top 20 appliances draining the most electricity in South African homes.
• Hundreds of NUM members marched through Johannesburg over Eskom's unbundling plans.
• President Cyril Ramaphosa was asked about the Phala Phala theft report during an oversight visit at Kusile Power Station.

Source: Briefly News