Free tools · From NERSA’s 2026/27 decision · Eastern Cape
How many units for R100 in Blue Crane Route?
R100 buys 29.0 kWh of prepaid electricity in Blue Crane Route at the start of the month, VAT included, on Blue Crane Route’s prepaid tariff for homes, Tariff 7: Domestic prepaid. There’s no fixed charge, so all of your money buys units. Units cost more as the month goes on: once you’ve bought 350 kWh, R100 buys 21.6 kWh.
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- 29.0 kWhFor R100at the start of the month
- 132.5 kWhFor R500at the start of the month
- 21.6 kWhFor R100 lateronce you’ve bought 350 kWh
- NoneFixed chargeall your money buys units
What R50 to R1,000 buys in Blue Crane Route
Blue Crane Route has 2 prepaid tariffs for homes that, going by their names, any household can be on. The cheapest for a month of 500 kWh comes first:
Tariff 7: Domestic prepaid29.0 kWhfor R100 at the start of the month
Units (kWh) for each amount, VAT included. Start of month: your first units of the month. After 350 kWh: once you’ve bought 350 kWh this month.
| You pay | Start of month | After 350 kWh |
|---|---|---|
| R50 | 14.5 | 10.8 |
| R100 | 29.0 | 21.6 |
| R200 | 56.9 | 43.2 |
| R300 | 82.1 | 64.8 |
| R500 | 132.5 | 108.0 |
| R1,000 | 274.8 | 216.0 |
| Units this month | Price a unit | R100 buys |
|---|---|---|
| First 50 kWh | R3.45 | 29.0 kWh |
| 50 to 150 kWh | R3.97 | 25.2 kWh |
| 150 to 350 kWh | R3.45 | 29.0 kWh |
| 350 to 600 kWh | R4.63 | 21.6 kWh |
| Above 600 kWh | R5.45 | 18.3 kWh |
No fixed charge: all of your money buys units. The decision doesn’t say whether its tariffs include VAT; 15% added, as municipal tariffs are usually quoted without it. Source: NERSA decision, page 22.
Tariff 1: Domestic39.1 kWhfor R100 at the start of the month, plus a fixed R427.74 a month
Units (kWh) for each amount, VAT included. Start of month: your first units of the month, with the fixed charge paid. First buy: the month’s first purchase, if it pays the whole fixed charge before any units. After 350 kWh: once you’ve bought 350 kWh this month.
| You pay | Start of month | First buy | After 350 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| R50 | 19.5 | 0.0 | 10.8 |
| R100 | 39.1 | 0.0 | 21.6 |
| R200 | 71.9 | 0.0 | 43.2 |
| R300 | 102.3 | 0.0 | 64.8 |
| R500 | 163.1 | 28.2 | 108.0 |
| R1,000 | 315.2 | 185.1 | 216.0 |
| Units this month | Price a unit | R100 buys |
|---|---|---|
| First 50 kWh | R2.56 | 39.1 kWh |
| 50 to 350 kWh | R3.29 | 30.4 kWh |
| 350 to 600 kWh | R4.63 | 21.6 kWh |
| Above 600 kWh | R5.45 | 18.3 kWh |
It has a fixed charge (basic charge R371.95 a month, before VAT) that comes to R427.74 for November, with VAT. You pay it whatever you use, and your prepaid purchases pay it first. The decision doesn’t say whether its tariffs include VAT; 15% added, as municipal tariffs are usually quoted without it. Source: NERSA decision, page 22.
Why the same R100 buys less later in the month
On this tariff, Blue Crane Route sells electricity in blocks that start again on the first of every month. The first 50 kWh each month cost R3.45 a unit, VAT included, and the price goes up in steps after that, to R5.45 a unit above 600 kWh.
So R100 buys 29.0 kWh at the start of the month, but only 21.6 kWh once you’ve bought 350 kWh that month. Splitting your purchases doesn’t change this: the blocks count every unit you buy in the month, however you buy them.
Other household tariffs
| Tariff | R100 buys | Fixed a month |
|---|---|---|
| Tariff 7: Domestic prepaid indigentFor households that qualify | 74.2 kWh | None |
| Tariff 1: Domestic indigentFor households that qualify | 80.4 kWh | R299.41 |
Units for R100 at the start of the month, VAT included, with the month’s fixed charge paid. The municipality decides who qualifies.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Cape
- Amahlathi41.0 kWh
- Dr Beyers Naudé32.6 kWh
- Elundini32.1 kWh
- Emalahleni (Eastern Cape)39.2 kWh
- Komani (Enoch Mgijima)41.1 kWh
- Great Kei41.7 kWh
- Inxuba Yethemba40.5 kWh
- Mthatha (King Sabata Dalindyebo)23.6 kWh
- Kouga43.6 kWh
- Koukamma39.2 kWh
- Makhanda (Makana)23.2 kWh
- Matatiele42.9 kWh
- Ndlambe33.6 kWh
- Gqeberha (Nelson Mandela Bay)25.9 kWh
- Raymond Mhlaba43.1 kWh
- Sakhisizwe39.8 kWh
- Senqu41.6 kWh
- Sundays River Valley41.4 kWh
- Walter Sisulu40.3 kWh
- Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (Mbizana)43.1 kWh
Units for R100 at the start of the month, VAT included.
- A month’s electricity bill in Blue Crane RouteLine by line
- Blue Crane Route: the municipalityWards, water
- Every municipalityUnits for R100
Source: NERSA decision, page 22, Blue Crane Route’s tariffs for 2026/27, from 1 July 2026. Worked out for November 2026. In parts of most municipalities, Eskom supplies homes directly.