Do I need to change from prepaid to conventional when I install solar and SSEG in South Africa?

Answer first: Ask “what is my post-SSEG tariff code and meter type?” before you sign — prepaid + solar · meters · fixed charges.

Why prepaid and export clash

Token meters were not designed for bi-directional settlement. Metros that pay credits or run net-billing usually need conventional / AMI metering. Zero-export hybrids can still trigger policy migrations — confirm locally — export limits · SSEG timelines.

Metro desks to open

City Power Joburg · Cape Town · eThekwini · Tshwane · NMB · Eskom Homeflex.

Quote failures to reject

• Savings charts that keep prepaid token rates after SSEG.
• Missing meter works / migration labour lines.
• No written answer on fixed charges after migration.
• Export income assumed equal to old import token rate.

Homeowner checklist

1. Photograph the current meter and account number.
2. Ask which post-SSEG tariff code applies.
3. Price meter swap and any deposit changes.
4. Rebuild the spreadsheet on self-use + new fixed charges — self-use · monthly savings.
5. Keep migration letters in the sale pack — selling.

Token tips while you wait

Until migration completes, keep buying tokens as the account requires and run export-limit so you do not create unbillable export — token tips · zero-export.

Installer email you can send today

Please reply with the document, screenshot or calculation that proves this item on my system, the labour line that covers it, and who signs the CoC note. Verbal “standard practice” is not enough for handover or sale packs.

Related desk links

Read a quote · Choose installer · Red flags · Costs & savings · FAQ · Metro tariffs.

South African primaries beat blogs

Metro annexures, NERSA documents, OEM manuals and your CoC win arguments. This desk translates those into checklists — it does not replace them. When a quote disagrees with the live City or Eskom schedule, the schedule wins.

Numbers to park on one page

• Relevant kW / kWh / voltage / tariff figures named.
• Who commissions and who holds passwords.
• Which photos exist on handover day.
• What happens if approval lags (export-limit plan).
• Which OEM or metro form is filed.

Educational ranges only — confirm live documents the week you sign — get quotes · check a quote.

Checklist addendum 2

Photograph the relevant setting or string label, file it with the as-built, and ask two installers the same written question. Compare answers before deposit. Keep metro and OEM names explicit so nobody pastes the wrong city’s cents or voltage assumption onto your erf.

• Document owner: homeowner + installer.
• Review trigger: firmware change, DB change, sale, or SSEG approval.
• Related: export limits · CT clamps · SSEG.

Checklist addendum 3

Photograph the relevant setting or string label, file it with the as-built, and ask two installers the same written question. Compare answers before deposit. Keep metro and OEM names explicit so nobody pastes the wrong city’s cents or voltage assumption onto your erf.

• Document owner: homeowner + installer.
• Review trigger: firmware change, DB change, sale, or SSEG approval.
• Related: export limits · CT clamps · SSEG.

Checklist addendum 4

Photograph the relevant setting or string label, file it with the as-built, and ask two installers the same written question. Compare answers before deposit. Keep metro and OEM names explicit so nobody pastes the wrong city’s cents or voltage assumption onto your erf.

• Document owner: homeowner + installer.
• Review trigger: firmware change, DB change, sale, or SSEG approval.
• Related: export limits · CT clamps · SSEG.

Checklist addendum 5

Photograph the relevant setting or string label, file it with the as-built, and ask two installers the same written question. Compare answers before deposit. Keep metro and OEM names explicit so nobody pastes the wrong city’s cents or voltage assumption onto your erf.

• Document owner: homeowner + installer.
• Review trigger: firmware change, DB change, sale, or SSEG approval.
• Related: export limits · CT clamps · SSEG.

Checklist addendum 6

Photograph the relevant setting or string label, file it with the as-built, and ask two installers the same written question. Compare answers before deposit. Keep metro and OEM names explicit so nobody pastes the wrong city’s cents or voltage assumption onto your erf.

• Document owner: homeowner + installer.
• Review trigger: firmware change, DB change, sale, or SSEG approval.
• Related: export limits · CT clamps · SSEG.

Worked homeowner scenario

Imagine two quotes on the same erf. Quote A hides the compliance detail this page covers inside a vague “installation complete” line. Quote B lists the setting, document, photo or calculation, names who signs it, and prices rework if metro or OEM rules change. Pick B even when A is a few thousand rand cheaper — the cheap quote usually reappears as a variation order or a failed inspection.

Before deposit, forward this page’s checklists and ask for written replies against each bullet. File the replies with your CoC and SSEG pack so sale, insurance and warranty transfer do not start from zero — CoC · warranty transfer · SSEG timelines · read a quote.

Metro and OEM discipline

City Power, Cape Town, eThekwini, Tshwane, Nelson Mandela Bay and Eskom Homeflex publish different pathways. An installer who copies another city’s cents, meter habits or voltage assumptions onto your annexure is improvising. Demand the live document name and date on the quote appendix — metro tariffs · 2026 tariffs · Joburg steps · Cape Town steps.

Handover pack minimums

• As-built single-line and DB photos.
• Settings screenshots (export-limit, firmware, CT notes as relevant).
• Serial list and warranty registrations.
• SSEG / meter references or zero-export confirmation.
• Household training note and password escrow.

Related: export limits · CT clamps · generator interlock · meters · NRS inverters · batteries hub · load shedding.

One more diligence pass

Ask whether this item changes after firmware updates, DB upgrades, EV charger adds or prepaid migration. If yes, price the re-test. Keep the answer in writing beside the original commission sheet so the next electrician is not guessing in the rain.

Closing reminder

Every brand named on Solar News 24 comes with a checkable fact — a warranty term, a datasheet figure or a dated price — and sits among its peers rather than on a podium. Prices and charger counts move, so confirm BlueNova SBB MKII pricing and Chargify site lists with the supplier before you spend.

Desk note: keep this page beside your quote appendix when you compare firms — the winner is the one who answers in documents, not slogans.

What changes on the bill after migration

Prepaid tokens hide some fixed and capacity charges inside the token maths. Conventional / TOU post-SSEG bills often show a clearer service / network / capacity floor plus time-of-use energy blocks. Model the new tariff before you celebrate solar savings — especially in City Power Joburg, where residential exporters must leave prepaid.

• Ask the metro which post-SSEG tariff code you will land on.
• Re-run self-use maths on peak vs off-peak blocks, not on the old prepaid high band alone.
• Keep token history for the last 12 months — installers need it for sizing even after you migrate.

Related: City Power SSEG · prepaid + solar · fixed charges · token tips.

Timing the meter swap

Book the bi-directional or conventional meter with the same week as SSEG approval when you can. Sitting on a hybrid that can export while still on an incompatible prepaid meter is how nuisance trips and rejected files start — SSEG timelines · SSEG steps.

Metro paperwork is part of the product

SSEG applications, inspections, and tariff codes are not optional admin. Lodge early, track the reference, and keep every PDF in one folder named with the metro number. Enabling export before approval is non-compliance, not a shortcut.

Match inverter settings to the approval letter the day it arrives.

Quick questions