Eskom Solar Registration Deadline Arrives: What SA Homeowners Need to Know
- Today marks the last day for Eskom Direct customers with rooftop solar to register their systems with the power utility
- Eskom backed down on threats of fines and disconnections after lobbying from OUTA, but a financial penalty still looms for late registrants
- OUTA and energy expert Chris Yelland advised solar owners with a valid compliance certificate not to register
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South African homeowners with rooftop solar systems faced a crunch moment on 30 September 2026, the final day for Eskom Direct customers to register their installations with the power utility.
Missing the deadline does not come without consequences. Customers who register after today will be responsible for covering the cost of a smart electricity meter, along with related expenses including the quote, meter box, cabling, installation, and connection fees. Those who registered before the cut-off have Eskom foot the bill for the multi-thousand-rand meter.
OUTA tells solar owners to hold off
Despite the pressure to register, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has taken a firm stance against it. OUTA CEO Wayne Duvenage said customers with solar systems under the 100kW threshold and a valid electrical certificate of compliance (CoC) have no legal obligation to register. Duvenage said:
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"If you've got solar and a compliance certificate under the kilowatt threshold, and you're an Eskom client, we cannot see the reason and rationality for you to register."
Energy expert Chris Yelland, who serves as OUTA's energy advisor, backed this position. He said he would not register his own solar system, but stressed the importance of holding a valid CoC as proof of safety compliance. Yelland said:
"They can't fine you, they can't cut you off."
He added that customers comfortable with the costs involved are free to register if they choose.
Source: Getty Images
Eskom's threats called into question
In mid-August 2026, Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena confirmed the utility would not fine or disconnect customers who missed the 30 September deadline. Mokwena maintained that registration was necessary for grid security and safety, but Yelland pushed back sharply on that reasoning.
Yelland argued that Eskom had previously threatened unregistered solar users with fines of up to R30,000 and electricity disconnections, both of which he described as legally baseless. He said:
"Eskom has no authority to issue fines. It is not a court, it is not a statutory authority, it doesn't write the law, and there is no provision for Eskom to issue fines."
He further noted that the Electricity Regulation Act, which Mokwena cited, does not apply to behind-the-meter solar and battery installations that have no direct connection point to the municipal network. Under the Act, he explained, failing to register a rooftop system does not give Eskom grounds to disconnect a customer's electricity supply.
Read the full story here.
More Briefly News stories on solar panels
- A South African homeowner invested R69,900 in a 5kW solar system to reduce electricity costs and secure reliable backup power.
- A Joburg man explained three essential components of a home solar system in a beginner-friendly TikTok for South Africans considering solar.
- South African homeowners were warned that the deadline to register their solar panels without paying additional fees was approaching.
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Source: Briefly News
