18/09/2026
ENERGY NEWS & UPDATES | According to recent analysis of more than 400 million meter readings, appliance resets, incorrect timers and unusual overnight consumption can quietly increase household electricity usage - potentially adding around R300 or more per month in some cases.
🔌 What’s happening?
After an outage, appliances such as geysers, pumps and heating equipment can restart differently. Timers may reset, appliances can operate at the wrong time, and several high-load appliances may switch on together. With electricity tariffs also increasing for 2026/27 - 8.76% for Eskom direct customers and 9.01% for municipal customers - small inefficiencies can have a bigger impact on your monthly bill.
💡 What does this mean for you?
If your electricity usage seems higher than usual, the problem may not simply be "using more electricity." Your geyser timer, thermostat, pumps and other automated appliances could be contributing to unnecessary consumption.
✅ What should you do next?
Start with a simple energy check:
• Check your geyser timer and thermostat after power interruptions
• Monitor your overnight electricity consumption
• Check pool, borehole and circulation pumps
• Look for appliances restarting simultaneously
• Check refrigerator seals and temperature settings
• Switch off non-essential standby appliances and monitor the difference
And if your geyser is one of your biggest household energy users, understanding how and when it heats can make a meaningful difference to your overall energy consumption.
👉 Read the full article to understand what could be driving those hidden costs.
South African homeowners could be paying around R300 more for electricity each month without knowing it.
