Tariffs
How does Eskom Homeflex work with home solar in South Africa?
If you are on an Eskom Direct Homeflex-style time-of-use tariff, solar payback hinges on displacing expensive peak/standard blocks and charging batteries in cheaper windows — not on a flat c/kWh average. Confirm your exact schedule and whether municipal TOU (for example Cape Town) applies instead.
Updated 27 October 2026 · Illustrative ranges — not a formal quote, credit decision or legal advice.
Answer first: Open your bill and name the tariff code before anyone models savings. Homeflex-style TOU is not City Power flat-block maths and not Cape Town’s residential TOU — metro tariffs · 2026 tariffs · Cape Town TOU.
What TOU changes for solar design
- Self-use during peak/standard blocks usually beats export.
- Battery discharge should cover evening peaks and Stage windows.
- Grid-charge in off-peak can refill for morning peaks if OEM and utility rules allow — grid charge.
Eskom Direct vs municipal supply
Many suburbs are municipal even when people say “Eskom.” Homeflex language only helps if your supply authority and schedule match. Ask the installer to screenshot the tariff name from your bill onto the savings page.
SSEG and Homeflex
Export registration still follows the embedded-generation process for your supply authority. Do not assume Homeflex automatically pays attractive feed-in — SSEG · self-use vs export · zero-export.
Worked self-use sketch (illustrative)
Shifting 300 kWh/month out of peak/standard into solar + battery often dominates 100 kWh of cheap export. Demand a TOU-coloured spreadsheet — monthly savings · payback.
Battery sizing on TOU + Stage
Usable kWh must cover the expensive evening window and load-shedding overlap — Stage 4 · Stage 6 · DoD.
EV charging on Homeflex
Schedule the wallbox into off-peak or solar surplus. A 7.2 kW charger on peak overnight rates fights the tariff — solar + EV · charger cost.
Common quote failures
- Flat average c/kWh instead of TOU blocks.
- Export = peak import assumption.
- No written charge/discharge schedule.
- Wrong utility’s tariff copied from a template.
Fixed charges still matter
Network and service charges remain after solar. Model them explicitly — fixed charges · demand charges.
Installer brief sentence
“Use my Homeflex (or actual) TOU schedule, show peak displacement, off-peak grid-charge, export c/kWh and a zero-export sensitivity.” — read a quote.
NERSA and schedule changes
When NERSA Reasons for Decision or Eskom schedule updates land, re-check the savings appendix before you sign variations — 2026 tariffs.
Closing checklist
- Tariff code photographed from the bill.
- TOU blocks on the quote.
- Battery schedule written.
- Export rule cited from the live primary.
Educational ranges only — confirm your supply authority’s live schedule the week you sign — get quotes · check a quote · prepaid + solar.
Geyser and pool timers on TOU
Move geysers and pool pumps into solar or off-peak windows with timers or smart relays — pool pump · geyser on backup · heat pump.
Homeflex vs municipal TOU side-by-side
If you are relocating between Eskom Direct and a metro, rebuild the savings model from scratch — Cape Town · City Power · eThekwini.
NMD and large hybrids
Big three-phase hybrids plus wallboxes can trip NMD conversations even on Homeflex — NMD · single vs three-phase.
Desk closing note
Bring the bill photo, 12-month kWh and essentials list to every installer meeting. Confirm the live schedule the week you sign — choose installer · red flags.
Reading the bill before the sales deck
Photograph the tariff name, season (high/low where applicable), and recent peak/standard/off-peak kWh split. Hand that photo to every installer so templates cannot silently swap in municipal flat rates — read a quote · 2026 tariffs.
Seasonal TOU shifts
Where Homeflex-style schedules change peak windows by season, battery discharge clocks must follow. A winter evening peak that starts earlier than your summer schedule will drain a mis-timed battery before Stage ends — winter production · Stage 4 · grid charge.
Export credit realism
Ask for the embedded-generation credit rule in writing for your Eskom Direct account. If credits are weak or slow, design zero-export self-use first — SSEG · zero-export · meters.
Three-phase Homeflex homes
Larger properties on three-phase supply need per-phase balance and often different hybrid topologies. Do not copy a single-phase quote — single vs three-phase · three-phase EV · NMD.
Prepaid tokens on the wrong story
Some homes think they are Homeflex while still on prepaid municipal tokens. The savings model follows the meter you actually have — prepaid + solar · City Power.
Heat pumps, pools and TOU
Timers that still fire geysers and pool pumps on peak rates undo solar maths. Align schedules with off-peak and solar surplus — heat pump · pool pump · aircon on battery.
Installer accountability
Contract language should name the tariff schedule used, the review date if NERSA changes land, and who updates settings when seasons flip — red flags · choose installer.
Desk closing note
Homeflex-style TOU rewards disciplined self-use and battery clocks, not brochure kWh. Confirm your supply authority, paste the bill photo onto every quote appendix, and re-check cents when schedules update — metro tariffs · get quotes · check a quote · payback.
Worked evening Stage overlap
Illustrative only: a home that sees peak rates from early evening and Stage 4 from 18:00 needs usable battery kWh for essentials through both the tariff peak and the shed. Solar that only padded midday export does little here — Stage 4 · Stage 6 · DoD.
Firmware and clock drift
Hybrid clocks that drift or ignore season tables will grid-charge on peak by mistake. After any firmware update, re-verify the TOU schedule against the bill — grid charge · fault codes.
Homeflex and fixed / capacity charges
Even on TOU energy rates, capacity or service charges can dominate thin bills. Model them explicitly so a “90% offset” claim does not surprise you — fixed charges · demand charges.
Comparing installer TOU engines
Send the same bill photo and 12-month kWh to three installers. Rank the offers on whether peak displacement is itemised, not on who promises the shortest payback — choose installer · red flags · read a quote.
Moving house with a Homeflex mental model
If you move into City Power, Cape Town or eThekwini territory, rebuild the model. Taking Homeflex assumptions into a metro feed-in debate is how export fantasies start — Joburg SSEG · Cape Town SSEG · eThekwini · metro tariffs.
Educational ranges only — confirm your supply authority’s live schedule and NERSA-linked updates the week you sign — get quotes · check a quote · payback.
Quick questions
Is Homeflex the same as Cape Town TOU?
No — different utilities and schedules. Use the tariff on your bill, not a neighbour’s metro story.
Should I grid-charge the battery on Homeflex?
Often in off-peak, if rules and warranty allow — document the schedule on the quote.
Does export pay peak rates?
Export credits follow the utility’s embedded-generation rules — rarely equal to peak import. Confirm live.
Sources & related
Homeflex vs municipal net-billing — do not mix rows
Homeflex Gen-offset credits and municipal feed-in tables are different instruments. A quote that pastes Cape Town cents onto an Eskom Homeflex erf is wrong on arrival. Ask for the utility name, tariff code and the exact booklet row used — Gen-offset desk · net billing · metro tariffs.
Fixed daily charges still hit the bill
Homeflex 1 fixed charges (dated booklet context around R23.02/day class figures — confirm live) mean solar that only shaves a little energy can look disappointing until self-use and battery timing are designed — fixed charges · self-use.
Installer one-pager for Homeflex erfs
Utility: Eskom. Tariff code: Homeflex variant. Gen-offset rows cited with booklet date. Fixed daily charge cited. Export-limit plan while waiting. Meter works owner. Self-use kWh target. Battery usable kWh. — read a quote.