Size the solar + battery system you need to cut out City Power's R241.50 fixed monthly charge and their peak block rates. Pick your essential loads, choose your backup hours, get the exact system spec to quote installers with.
Tick everything you want to keep running when the grid is off, or when you want to avoid paying peak-block rates.
Sizing rule: inverter VA = total watts × 1.25, rounded up to the nearest standard SA size (3, 5, 8, 10, or 12 kVA). Battery kWh = (watts × hours) / 0.8, assuming 80% depth of discharge on LiFePO4 chemistry. This is a first-cut estimate for quoting installers, not a substitute for a professional site survey.
Get 3 quotes from vetted Johannesburg installers for this exact system size.
Get QuotesEvery month on the standard City Power Prepaid High tariff, you pay R241.50 (inc VAT) in fixed service and capacity charges before you buy a single kWh. That's R2,898 a year going to arrears recovery, regardless of how much electricity you actually use.
A properly sized solar + battery system removes your dependence on that connection. Downsize your account (a lower fixed charge applies) or disconnect entirely and go fully off-grid.
Two conservative sizing rules used by SA installers:
Use the recommendation as a starting point when getting installer quotes. A real installer will refine the sizing for power factor, inverter efficiency (typically around 90%), and how many cycles you want out of the batteries.
Installed prices vary by installer, panel choice, and roof complexity. Ballpark 2026 ranges for a typical Johannesburg home:
A typical 5 kVA family setup at R150,000 pays itself back in roughly 5 to 7 years at 2026 City Power tariffs. Zero-upfront lease options (Wetility, Hohm Energy, GoSolr, LULA) let you pay a monthly fee that's often lower than your current City Power bill from day one.