Get ready for a new Eskom smart electricity meter. Mandatory installations started in earnest this week (Monday 13 October 2025). And the national power utility says they are key to a broader plan to modernise the national grid and improve the customer experience. Eskom aims to install 7.2-million smart meters all across South Africa.
As such, the first province to receive the new Eskom smart electricity meter is KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), as part of the initial 800 000-unit rollout. The goal is to complete the process in three years – so, by 2028, if all goes to plan …
ESKOM SMART ELECTRICITY METER
At its core, the Eskom smart electricity meter will help combat tampering, electricity theft and unpaid debt. This is possible by remotely disconnecting users who don’t pay. Eskom says this helps protect paying customers in the long run by them not carrying the burden of non-payers.
Better still, the power utility that’s successfully kept load-shedding at bay in 2025 says there are further practical benefits. The Eskom smart electricity meter provides accurate real-time data, so issues can be diagnosed faster. Plus, by not sending out technicians, there will be lower operational costs, too.
EASIER ACCESS TO FREE BASIC ELECTRICITY
Another advantage of the Eskom smart electricity meter will be more accessible Free Basic Electricity (FBE) to the poor. For those who are unaware, FBE is only for qualifying households. However, of the 2.1-million customers who qualify, only about 500 000 bother to actually claim the Eskom benefit of 50 kWh free per month.
Another plus for the Eskom smart electricity meter is something called Time-of-Use pricing. Basically, this charges users different rates depending on the time of day. Off-peak hours are cheaper than prime-time usage. Meanwhile, the old meters only apply one rate. Also, Eskom reminds all residents that the rollout is not optional. Older meters will eventually be replaced by the latest Eskom smart electricity meter.
REMOTE LOAD-LIMITING ESKOM SMART ELECTRICITY METER
Moreover, to further incentivise the new scheme, households can receive R90 a month if they agree to let Eskom remotely ‘load limit’ their electricity supply. This R90 will either be in the form of a prepaid token or as a credit on their account. Once again, this likely occur during peak demand periods.
The power utility says users will receive an SMS one-hour in advance of ‘load limiting.’ The event won’t last longer than two hours at a time. And may take place up to ten times a month. Which does sound an awful lot like the dreaded load-shedding to us.
What do you think? Are there new meters a way for Eskom to effectively control the grid. Or will they be taken advantage of by users?
