News · Policy · SSEG · 27 Oct 2026
NERSA net-billing: export credits cut your energy line — they do not erase fixed charges or pay cash
South Africa’s Net-Billing Rules tell distributors how to credit rooftop exports: against energy charges only, not as cash, with rollovers that stop at the distributor’s financial-year boundary. Your metro still sets the cents per kWh — and self-use still beats export for most homes.
Primary: Net-Billing Rules under the Electricity Regulation Act — approved by NERSA on 17 December 2024, gazetted as DMRE Notice 6262 on 30 May 2025 (gov.za PDF). Metro export rates still come from each distributor’s NERSA-approved tariff schedule (Cape Town, City Power, Tshwane, eThekwini differ).
What the Rules actually change for homeowners
Net-billing is not old-school spinning-disc net metering. You still pay the full applicable tariff for energy you import. Exports earn a separate export tariff credit designed around the distributor’s avoided energy cost — usually far below the retail import rate. That is why self-use and batteries beat “sell everything to the grid” maths in most SA homes.
| Rule (NERSA Net-Billing) | Household takeaway |
|---|---|
| Export credits offset energy charges only | They do not wipe fixed, basic or demand charges |
| No cash payout by the distributor under the Rules | Credits reduce future energy purchases — not a bank deposit (metros may have separate “Cash for Power”-style programmes with their own thresholds) |
| Surplus credits roll within the distributor’s financial year | Do not bank a giant credit across FY boundaries and expect it to survive |
| Export credit ≤ consumption in each TOU period (design principle) | You cannot design a pure export plant and call it prosumer net-billing |
| Bi-directional, TOU-capable meters required | Spinning discs may not run backwards as a metering method |
| Capacity ≤ lower of breaker-derived kVA or 1 000 kVA | Home SSEG still sits under metro NRS 097 / local limits in practice |
| Written approval before connect | Unauthorised export risks disconnection and tampering fines |
2026/27 metro export examples (still the rate card)
The Rules set how credits work; metros still publish how many cents. Illustrative residential export credits we track for 2026/27 (VAT-inclusive where noted on our tariff pages): Cape Town ~152.93 c/kWh (107.98 c excl. feed-in + 25 c excl. incentive); City Power ~143.29 c; Tshwane ~108.25 c (plus fixed SSEG charges); eThekwini ~184.60 c. Always verify the live annexure before you model payback — metro tariffs, feed-in guide.
Prepaid meters and EV charging
If you are on prepaid, ask early whether export requires a meter class change or a move to a TOU conventional tariff (City Power’s exporter path is the clearest published example). Token logic and reverse power do not mix. Pair this with prepaid + solar and prepaid token tips. EV wallboxes on TOU should charge off-peak or from solar midday — public DC near R7/kWh is the expensive alternative.
What to put in the installer brief
- Distributor name and current tariff code / meter photo.
- Zero-export vs feed-in intent — and which meter the metro requires.
- NRS 097-2-1 inverter list status and CoC undertaking.
- Explicit line items for AMI/bi-directional meter fees and SSEG application.
- Payback model that prices self-use first, export second.
Caveats
Distributors must still get NERSA approval for their specific prosumer tariffs and may phase TOU export until billing systems are ready (Cape Town has publicly noted TOU feed-in backend testing). Nelson Mandela Bay and other metros have filed their own net-billing credit proposals based on avoided-cost studies — local cents will keep diverging. This article is educational, not legal advice.
Worked savings intuition (illustrative)
Suppose a Cape Town home self-uses 70% of PV and exports 30%. Export might credit around the ~153 c/kWh all-in residential feed-in band (107.98 c + 25 c incentive, VAT-inclusive maths on our tariff desk), while import still costs ordinary Home User energy — often well above that credit. Every kWh shifted from export into a midday EV charge, geyser timer or pool pump is usually worth more than the export line. That is the consumer reading of net-billing: credits are a consolation prize; self-use is the product.
Batteries change the timing, not the regulation. A pack that covers evening peak imports can beat export-heavy designs even when the feed-in number looks “generous” on a brochure. Model both — do I need a battery?, payback.
Compliance path in one paragraph
Apply → written permission → install to NRS 097 / Code requirements → bi-directional metering → commissioning sign-off → only then export. Connecting first and apologising later is exactly what the fines clause targets. Keep the paper trail with the CoC.
Municipal variation is the real headline
Two prosumers under the same national Rules can see very different rand outcomes because export cents, fixed SSEG charges and meter fees differ. Cape Town’s incentive add-on, Tshwane’s fixed charges, eThekwini’s network access, and City Power’s prepaid-to-TOU exporter path are all live examples on our tariff desk. Always download the current annexure for your metro rather than copying a neighbour’s spreadsheet from another city.
Bottom line: national Rules protect distributors and non-prosumers from unfair cost shifts; your savings still come from kilowatt-hours you never import. Design for self-use, register properly, and treat export cents as a secondary line on the spreadsheet.
Related
Homeowner checklist after the NERSA framing
- Identify your distributor (metro vs Eskom) and open their live SSEG / Homeflex page — not a 2023 blog.
- Confirm whether you are on net-billing style export credits or still awaiting a bi-directional meter.
- Re-run savings with self-use first; treat export c/kWh as a residual.
- Keep NRS 097 inverter paperwork and the CoC with the application pack.
National framing does not replace municipal annexures. Cape Town, City Power, Tshwane and eThekwini still publish their own cents and fixed charges — metro tariffs · net metering vs net billing.
Bill anatomy after net-billing language lands
Expect separate lines for import energy, export credits, and fixed / capacity / service charges. A fat export credit with a fatter fixed charge can still raise the rand total. Print three bills after the tariff code flips before you rewrite the WhatsApp payback claim — fixed charges · metro tariffs.
Prepaid exporters often face a product migration before credits appear. Ask the metro which meter and which code you will land on — prepaid + solar · bi-directional meters.
What net-billing is not
It is not 1:1 “spin the meter backwards” net metering, and it is not a guarantee that every exported kWh pays retail import rates. Credits are usually at a published export tariff below the buy rate — which is why self-use and load-shifting still dominate household economics in 2026/27 — export vs self-use.
Action list when your metro updates wording
- Screenshot the old tariff code and fixed-charge lines.
- Ask whether your meter must change before credits apply.
- Zero-export until the portal says otherwise.
- Re-run payback with the new export cent value — not the old rumour.
Related: net metering vs net billing · SSEG cost.
Keep the primary close
When in doubt, read your metro’s latest SSEG / export schedule and NERSA-linked notices rather than a Facebook summary of “net billing.” Our desk pages track homeowner impact; they are not a substitute for the PDF that names your tariff code — metro tariffs.