☀️ Solar Registration Update: Eskom Drops Registration Charges Until Further Notice
Good news for South African solar owners — but the registration debate is not over
There has been another important development in the ongoing discussion around the registration of residential solar systems in South Africa.
On 30 September 2026, Eskom confirmed that it has extended the waiver of registration-related charges for eligible customer-owned generation systems of up to 50 kVA until further notice.
For consumers who have already invested heavily in solar and battery systems, this is welcome news.
But there is an important distinction:
The registration-related charges have been waived. The requirement to register qualifying grid-connected systems has not been withdrawn by Eskom.
At Nearby Electrician, we believe consumers and electrical contractors need to understand that difference.
What has changed?
Previously, Eskom's waiver of registration-related charges was due to expire on 30 September 2026.
That deadline has now effectively been removed.
According to Eskom, eligible customer-owned generation systems of up to 50 kVA, connected directly to the Eskom distribution network, will continue to benefit from the waiver until further notice.
This means qualifying Eskom-direct customers have additional time to complete the registration process without the registration-related charges that would otherwise apply.
This is particularly significant because the previous Eskom fee structure could involve quotation, connection and metering-related costs.
But remember:
Free registration does not mean no registration.
Eskom continues to maintain that qualifying grid-connected generation facilities must be registered.
OUTA: Good progress, but bigger questions remain
We must give credit to the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) for its continued engagement on this matter.
OUTA has been challenging the cost, administrative burden and underlying justification associated with compulsory registration of small residential solar systems.
Following Eskom's latest announcement, OUTA described the indefinite waiver as meaningful progress for South African households that have invested their own money in alternative energy.
However, OUTA is still asking an important question:
Why should a compliant residential solar system that operates behind the meter and does not export electricity into the grid be subjected to the same registration approach?
OUTA argues that there should be a clear distinction between a household that simply generates electricity for its own consumption and a customer who actively exports electricity back into the distribution network.
That distinction deserves serious consideration.
⚡ Exporting and non-exporting systems are not necessarily the same thing
This is where the discussion becomes particularly important from an electrical and technical perspective.
Consider two homes.
Home A
The homeowner installs solar panels, batteries and a hybrid inverter.
The installation is correctly designed, installed and tested.
The homeowner has a valid electrical Certificate of Compliance and the system does not export electricity into the Eskom network.
Home B
The homeowner has a solar system that actively exports surplus electricity into the distribution network.
These installations interact with the electricity network differently.
Once electricity is exported into the network, legitimate questions arise around:
- Bidirectional metering
- Export limitations
- Network protection
- Tariff structures
- Connection agreements
- Grid stability
- Credits or compensation for exported electricity
- Technical compliance
OUTA itself acknowledges that systems exporting electricity into the distribution network reasonably require appropriate approval, metering and connection arrangements.
The debate is therefore increasingly centred on whether the same level of administrative registration should apply to a compliant non-exporting, behind-the-meter residential installation.
🛡️ One thing must never disappear from this discussion: electrical safety
Nearby Electrician strongly supports the principle that reducing unnecessary administration must never mean reducing electrical safety standards.
Whether a system is registered with Eskom or not, a solar installation forms part of an electrical installation and must be installed, tested and certified correctly where required.
A homeowner should never interpret this latest announcement as permission to install solar equipment without proper electrical compliance.
Solar installations involve significant electrical hazards, including:
- DC voltages from PV arrays
- Battery energy storage systems
- Multiple sources of supply
- Inverter-generated AC supplies
- Earthing and bonding requirements
- Isolation requirements
- Protection coordination
- Changeover and backup arrangements
- Possible interaction with the public distribution network
These are not DIY considerations.
The focus should therefore remain on safe, compliant installations performed and certified by appropriately registered electrical professionals.
🔎 What does Eskom say?
Eskom's position remains that registration of grid-connected rooftop solar installations assists with the safe and efficient integration of customer-owned generation into the electricity network.
Eskom also argues that registration helps prepare the electricity system for developments such as bidirectional smart metering, appropriate tariffs, electricity credits and future flexibility services.
Importantly, Eskom has specifically confirmed that:
The extension removes registration-related charges for eligible customers, but does not change the underlying registration requirement.
The current waiver applies to eligible systems of up to 50 kVA connected directly to Eskom's distribution network.
🏛️ What about municipal customers?
This is another very important distinction.
Eskom's announcement does not automatically change the requirements of every municipality in South Africa.
If your electricity account is supplied directly by a municipality rather than Eskom, you need to establish the requirements of that particular licensed municipal electricity distributor.
Municipalities may have their own:
- SSEG registration procedures
- Application documentation
- Tariffs
- Metering requirements
- Technical requirements
- Fees and charges
Consumers should therefore not assume that an Eskom announcement automatically applies to their municipal electricity supply.
🏠 What about completely off-grid systems?
A genuinely off-grid installation is different again.
A system that operates completely independently from the Eskom or municipal electricity network does not interact with that distribution network in the same way as a grid-connected SSEG installation.
This distinction is becoming increasingly important as more South Africans investigate whether complete energy independence is financially practical.
However, off-grid does not mean exempt from electrical safety requirements.
The installation itself still needs to comply with the applicable electrical installation requirements.
👷 A message to electrical contractors
For registered electrical contractors, this development should not be seen as the end of the solar compliance discussion.
It is actually another reason to stay informed.
Customers are going to ask:
“Do I still need to register?”
“Does the waiver apply to me?”
“Do I need a smart meter?”
“What if my system doesn't export?”
“What if I'm supplied by the municipality?”
“Do I still need a CoC?”
We need to answer these questions carefully.
Do not confuse a fee waiver with the removal of the registration requirement.
Do not confuse registration with electrical compliance.
And do not assume that Eskom's requirements automatically apply to customers supplied by a municipality.
📢 Nearby Electrician's view
We welcome any development that makes compliant solar installations simpler, more affordable and more practical for South African consumers.
Consumers have invested substantial amounts of their own money in solar generation, battery storage and energy independence.
The regulatory environment should encourage safe renewable-energy adoption rather than unnecessarily complicating it.
At the same time, we strongly support proper electrical installation standards and the use of suitably registered electrical contractors.
There is room for both:
Less unnecessary red tape — and strong electrical safety.
The latest announcement from Eskom is therefore a positive development.
But OUTA is correct in pointing out that the bigger discussion has not disappeared.
Should a safe, compliant, non-exporting residential solar installation behind the customer's meter be treated in the same way as an installation exporting electricity into the public distribution network?
That is the question that still needs a clear and technically justified answer.
For now, the important message is:
☀️ The charges may be gone for qualifying Eskom customers — but the registration discussion is far from over.
Credit & Sources
This article was prepared by Nearby Electrician as an industry and consumer information update.
Special credit must be given to the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) for the original report and its continued engagement with Eskom regarding residential solar registration requirements, costs and administrative processes.
Original OUTA report:
“Eskom drops solar registration charges indefinitely, but bigger questions remain” — 1 October 2026.
The information has also been checked against Eskom's official announcement of 30 September 2026, confirming that the waiver of registration-related charges for eligible customer-owned generation systems up to 50 kVA has been extended until further notice.
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