JoburgCAN is calling on City Power-supplied residents and businesses to ensure that solar installations are safe and legally compliant, but not to rush into the utility’s registration process until the city provides a clear, affordable and workable framework.
City Power’s stated position is that all solar photovoltaic systems connected to its network must be registered, regardless of their size or capacity. Its current tariff arrangements also require registered small-scale embedded generation customers to move onto postpaid billing and use a smart bi-directional meter.
However, serious questions remain about the cost, administration and practical consequences of registration.
Engagement between City Power and the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association earlier this year identified concerns about manual applications, unresolved legacy submissions, administrative complexity and the compulsory movement of customers from prepaid to postpaid tariffs. Industry representatives warned that the tariff change could increase monthly fixed costs from about R230 to between R1,070 and R1,360.
City Power has disputed that it has a registration backlog, arguing that outstanding applications are generally incomplete or technically non-compliant. However, the entity has also confirmed that it is exploring a digital registration platform and that no implementation timeline has yet been finalised.
JoburgCAN Managing Director Julia Fish said residents should not be forced into an uncertain and potentially costly administrative process while fundamental issues remain unresolved.
“Residents invested in solar because Johannesburg’s electricity supply was unreliable and increasingly expensive. They should not now be punished through unclear rules, additional costs, billing uncertainty and an application process that the city itself is still working to improve,” Fish said.
“City Power cannot demand immediate compliance while residents still do not have clear answers about what registration will cost, whether they will be forced off prepaid electricity, what equipment will be required and how long the process will take.”
JoburgCAN stresses that electrical safety is not negotiable.
Solar systems must be installed, tested and signed off by appropriately qualified and registered electrical professionals. Property owners should obtain a valid electrical Certificate of Compliance and retain their invoices, equipment specifications, warranties, commissioning documents and installation records.
“Our message is not that residents should install unsafe or non-compliant systems. Install safely, use a qualified electrician and keep every document,” Fish said.
“But until City Power has established a fair, affordable and properly consulted framework, residents and businesses should not be pressured into rushing to register. Communication from the City has been inconsistent at best. The need for expensive engineering reports, costly meters and diagrams have been mentioned but in some engagements backtracked on. Without certainty of what the requirements are and a clear published policy none of the enforcement mechanisms are legal.”
JoburgCAN is calling on City Power to publish a single, accessible framework that clearly explains:
- Which solar and battery systems must be registered;
- How non-exporting, backup and grid-tied systems will be treated;
- Which technical documents and professional approvals are required;
- Whether prepaid customers must move to postpaid billing;
- The full cost of meters, applications and tariff changes;
- Expected application and approval timeframes;
- How installations completed under previous requirements will be handled; and
- What appeal or dispute process will be available.
The city must also engage residents, businesses, electricians, solar installers, industry bodies and civil society before imposing penalties or threatening disconnections.
“Regulatory certainty encourages compliance. Confusion, high costs and administrative barriers drive people away from the process,” Fish said. “We are dealing with a massive trust deficit with the municipality. Being asked to register without guidance means many believe the City will start increases costs, imposing additional property rates charges, forcing residents to use City contractors at higher fees or permanently disconnecting properties who simply want solar as a back-up forcing them to expand their systems.”
“Engage first. Fix the system. Explain the costs. Then enforce clear and reasonable rules. Solar is a cheaper alternative for City Power than expensive bulk purchases from Eskom, and could save the utility billions of rands every year, so we should be embracing this opportunity, not penalising residents or creating barriers to stabilising the local grid.”
JoburgCAN’s position applies specifically to properties supplied by City Power. Residents supplied directly by Eskom fall under a separate process. City Power customers should obtain independent professional advice regarding the requirements applicable to their installations.