- NERSA approved 162 out of 176 electricity tariff applications submitted for the 2026/27 financial year.
- Fourteen municipal and private distributor applications remain outstanding due to court imposed deadlines.
- Regulator says urgent High Court application is necessary to avoid disruption ahead of 1 July 2026 tariff implementation.
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) will approach the High Court on an urgent basis to seek an extension of the 11 May 2026 deadline imposed by the court to finalise fourteen outstanding municipal and private electricity distributor tariff applications for the 2026/27 financial year.
The regulator confirmed that 162 of the 176 tariff applications submitted on 31 March 2026 were approved within the court mandated timeframe. However, fourteen applications could not be finalised before the deadline.
According to NERSA, seven applications were reviewed but were found to contain outstanding information or required further enhancements, while the remaining seven could not be considered before the expiry of the court ordered period.
NERSA said it was unable to continue assessing the applications after 11 May 2026, as doing so would have breached the court order and potentially exposed the approved tariffs to legal challenges.
The regulator warned that the inability to finalise the remaining applications could create regulatory disruption for the affected municipalities and private distributors, particularly as approved tariffs are required for implementation from 1 July 2026.
NERSA stated that the Electricity Regulation Act of 2006 prohibits licensees from charging electricity tariffs that have not been approved by the Energy Regulator. The regulator added that Section 4 of the Act requires it to approve electricity prices and tariffs.
“As all efforts to ensure the sustainability of the regulatory framework are vital, approaching the High Court for appropriate relief is the only option available,” NERSA said.
The regulator added that it will engage directly with the fourteen affected licensees regarding the way forward while the urgent court application is being pursued.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
