Buying Prepaid Electricity Online in Mbombela

Electricity services in the Mbombela Local Municipality area are regulated by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) and reviewed locally each financial year. Much like other South African municipalities, tariff structures are designed to encourage efficient use and cover the costs of running the electricity network.

Tariff Options and Structure

• Inclined block tariffs — where the price per kilowatt‑hour (kWh) increases as your consumption rises — are used for residential accounts. The first portion of your use is charged at a lower price, and further blocks cost more per unit.

• Free Basic Electricity (FBE) — qualifying registered indigent households receive a set amount of free electricity (e.g., the first 50 kWh per month) as part of municipal social support programmes, although this only applies if you buy electricity that month.

• Convenience surcharge — a small percentage (e.g., ~5 %) may be added when you buy power through third‑party vendors or off‑site channels rather than directly from the municipality.

• Like other municipalities, Mbombela also includes a basic service charge to help cover network maintenance, meter administration, and billing systems.

What Is a Monthly vs Daily Tariff?

Monthly Tariff

A monthly tariff or service charge is levied once every billing period, regardless of whether you purchase electricity tokens that month. This charge helps the municipality maintain the electricity infrastructure — from reading meters to billing and upkeep — ensuring services remain available.

Daily Tariff

Some systems break that monthly charge into a daily rate that is deducted each time you buy prepaid tokens, until the full monthly service cost is covered. For example, a R90 monthly service fee could translate into R3 a day, so each token purchase first covers days of service before buying actual electricity units.

How to Buy Prepaid Electricity

Residents in Mbombela can purchase prepaid electricity online using approved platforms or channels. These commonly include:

Online/Vending Platforms

• Municipal prepaid portals listed on the Mbombela website (check the tariffs and rates section for direct links).

• Third‑party electricity vending sites or apps that support Mbombela meters with online payments (card or EFT).

How to Purchase Electricity on Powertime

• Log in to your Powertime account via the app or website.

• Select “Buy Electricity” from the main menu.

• Choose or add your meter number.

• Enter the amount you would like to purchase.

• Select your payment method (debit/credit card or Instant EFT).

• Confirm the transaction.

• Receive your token number instantly on screen or you can see the token under the “View history” option.

• Enter the token into your prepaid meter to load your electricity.

View the full tariff structure here: https://www.mbombela.gov.za/tariffs-and-rates/tariffs-and-rates-for-2026-2027/