Ratepayers have your say on proposed eThekwini tariff hikes for water, electricity and sanitation

Hefty tariff increases for water, electricity, sanitation and refuse collection are being proposed by the eThekwini Municipality.

In a statement on Tuesday, the municipality said its executive committee had considered proposed tariff adjustments to ensure the sustainability of essential services. The increases will be published for public consultation as part of the 2026/27 Integrated Development Plan and Budget process before being submitted to Full Council for final approval. The public consultation process is expected to start in April.

Once approved, the tariff increases will be effective from July 1 this year. A mandatory water loss charge is also being proposed. 

On electricity and water, the municipality said the increases were necessary to address rising bulk purchase costs and maintain electricity infrastructure, support initiatives to reduce water loss and ensure sustainable supply for eThekwini.

Explaining the sanitation costs, it said services include the reticulation network line that provides transportation of sewage, treatment and disposal of sewage and pollution control while it said waste management remains a capital-intensive service requiring significant investment in infrastructure such as landfill sites and transfer stations.

“Rising operational costs, including vehicle and infrastructure maintenance, have necessitated the proposed increase.”

The tariffs being proposed are:

• Electricity tariffs - an average increase of 10.5 percent across electricity tariffs. The proposed increase remains subject to approval by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa.
• Water tariffs - 15 percent increase for domestic water tariffs and a 16 percent increase for non-domestic tariffs.
• Sanitation tariffs - 13 percent increase for domestic tariffs and a 14 percent increase for non-domestic tariffs.
• Solid waste (refuse removal) tariffs - 13 percent increase in domestic refuse removal tariffs is proposed.

In addition, the municipality is proposing a 5 percent increase in tariffs for revenue management deposits. These are refundable amounts paid by customers when applying for water and electricity services and are intended to mitigate credit risk and support financial sustainability.

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