Start with the tariff on your meter
Cape Town prepaid customers may be on Domestic, Home User or Lifeline. Your property value, meter and circumstances can affect which one applies. Check your latest token receipt or municipal account before using a rate.
These are City of Cape Town prices from 1 July 2026, with VAT included. They do not cover Eskom-supplied areas, other municipalities or private resellers. Check who supplies your electricity first.
Domestic prepaid: what R500 buys
The City's Domestic prepaid first-block rate is R4.1379 per kWh for the first 600 kWh bought in a month. A separate Services and Wires Charge is recovered through purchases at R2.46 per day since your last purchase.
Say you have not bought electricity for seven days. The daily charge is R17.22, leaving R482.78 from your R500 payment. Divide that by R4.1379 and you get about 116.67 kWh. This assumes you are still in the first block and no other amounts are deducted.
Home User and Lifeline work differently
On Home User, the first-block energy rate is R3.5595 per kWh. That makes a R500 energy purchase about 140.47 kWh, assuming the entire amount goes towards energy. But Home User also has a R424.30 monthly Services and Wires Charge billed separately. The cheaper energy rate does not mean the total monthly bill is cheaper.
Lifeline customers pay R2.8304 per kWh and have no Services and Wires Charge. A R500 energy purchase would buy about 176.65 kWh at that rate. Some qualifying households also receive 25 or 60 kWh of free basic electricity each month. You must meet the City's eligibility rules to receive those units.
Why two R500 purchases can give different units
The City counts prepaid purchases towards a monthly block threshold. Domestic and Home User first-block rates apply to the first 600 kWh. Once your purchases go above that point, extra units cost more. Buying twice does not restart the first block.
Fixed-charge deductions can also change with the number of days since your previous purchase. When you compare two receipts, check how many units you have already bought that month and what has been deducted. Paying R500 does not always mean R500 goes towards energy.
Check your own receipt
Look for the amount paid, the kWh issued, your tariff category and any Services and Wires Charge or debt deduction. If your receipt does not show the tariff, ask the City which category your meter uses. Keep a few receipts to compare purchases fairly.
Use HowMuchSA's prepaid electricity calculator to enter the days since your last purchase and the units already bought this month. The tool includes a Cape Town Domestic 2026/27 example, but it cannot read your meter or issue a token. Check the actual receipt.
Worked example
Here is a second example. Suppose you buy R500 of Domestic prepaid electricity after 14 days, with no other deductions and enough first-block units left. The fixed charge would be 14 × R2.46 = R34.44. That leaves R465.56 for electricity. At R4.1379 per kWh, you would receive about 112.51 kWh. This is an estimate, not a guaranteed token amount.
Limitations and checks
These examples apply only to households supplied by the City of Cape Town on the tariffs shown for 2026/27. They assume that the purchase stays in the first price block. Real tokens can also reflect earlier purchases, other charges, debt recovery and rounding. Home User's monthly fixed charge is billed separately. Lifeline eligibility and free basic units must be confirmed with the City. Always check your own account and token receipt.
Try the prepaid electricity calculator
Sources and verification
- City of Cape Town: The cost of electricity (2026/27 residential rates) (checked 2026-10-13)
- City of Cape Town: Prepaid electricity tips and myths (checked 2026-10-13)
- Eskom Distribution: 2026/2027 tariffs for Eskom-supplied customers (checked 2026-10-13)
These examples are informational, not live quotes or personal financial advice. Always verify current supplier rates and circumstances.