South Africa adopted its indigent policy in 2001 to provide free basic services to poor households. Twenty-five years later, the programme remains one of the most valuable, and most underused, benefits available to low-income South Africans. If you earn under R7,800 per month, or if you receive a SASSA grant, you are almost certainly eligible for free electricity, free water, and subsidised refuse removal and sanitation. Most people do not know this exists.
What You Get: The Full Package
| Service | Monthly Allocation | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | 50 kWh (up to 120 kWh in some municipalities) | Basic lighting, small appliances, phone charging. Enough for about 4-5 hours of daily use for a small household. |
| Water | 6 kilolitres (6,000 litres) | Drinking, cooking, basic hygiene. Approximately 200 litres per day for a family of 4. |
| Sanitation / Sewerage | Up to R50/month or 100% subsidy | Sewage removal and treatment. Varies by municipality. |
| Refuse Removal | 100% subsidy (most municipalities) | Weekly waste collection. Some municipalities offer partial subsidy. |
| Rates & Taxes | Rebate (varies) | Registered indigent households receive rebates on property rates and municipal taxes. |
Who Qualifies
Each municipality sets its own income threshold for indigent status, but the general standard is a combined household income of R3,200 per month or less. In some metros like Johannesburg (City Power), the threshold is higher at R7,800 per month. If you or anyone in your household receives a SASSA grant, you may automatically qualify on income grounds.
You Likely Qualify If:
- Your household earns R3,200 or less per month (R7,800 in some metros)
- You receive any SASSA grant (old age, disability, child support, SRD)
- You are unemployed with no regular income
- You live in a formal dwelling connected to municipal electricity and water
- You are a South African citizen or permanent resident
Why 1.5 Million Households Miss Out
Parliament heard in 2025 that approximately 2 million low-income households qualify for Free Basic Electricity. Fewer than 500,000 actually receive it. The reasons are structural and surprising.
The Illegal Connection Problem
The parliamentary committee on electricity heard that three out of four qualifying dwellings already receive free illegal electricity. These households do not register for the indigent programme because they fear losing their illegal connection. This is a significant risk: Eskom is rolling out millions of smart metres by 2027, and illegal connections will be systematically identified and disconnected. Households that are legitimately registered on the indigent programme will be protected. Those on illegal connections will not.
Other reasons include a lack of awareness (many households simply do not know the programme exists), bureaucratic complexity (registration requires visiting municipal offices during working hours), expired registrations (indigent status must be renewed annually in most municipalities), and municipalities failing to conduct proper awareness campaigns.
How to Register: Step by Step
Registration Process
- Step 1: Contact your municipality's indigent office or customer care centre. Ask for the "indigent registration" or "Free Basic Services application".
- Step 2: Bring your SA ID, proof of address (not older than 3 months), proof of income (payslips, UIF letter, or bank statements), and your SASSA grant confirmation letter if applicable.
- Step 3: Provide your electricity meter number and your municipal account number (if you have one).
- Step 4: The municipality will conduct a means test to verify your income. If you qualify, you are registered on the indigent register.
- Step 5: Benefits typically start from the following month. For prepaid electricity customers, you can claim your free units by dialling *130*269# or *269*120# on your mobile phone.
Claiming Your Free Electricity Token (Prepaid Customers)
If your household is registered and eligible for FBE, you can access the Free Basic Electricity token number by dialling *269*120# or *130*869# on your mobile device. Alternatively, you can obtain the FBE token from your local electricity vendor without any obligation to purchase additional electricity. The free units are loaded separately from purchased units and will be consumed first.
Annual Renewal: Do Not Let It Lapse
In most municipalities, indigent status must be renewed annually. If you do not re-register, your benefits will be automatically removed, even if your circumstances have not changed. Many qualifying residents have been removed from the register because their benefits expired and they did not know they needed to renew. Set a reminder for your renewal date and visit your municipal office before it lapses.
The Smart Metre Factor
Eskom is in the process of rolling out millions of smart electricity metres across the country, with a target completion of 2027. Smart metres make it impossible to maintain illegal connections. They also make it far easier to deliver free basic electricity to registered indigent households, as the free units can be loaded digitally. If you are currently on an illegal connection, registering for the indigent programme now is the safest path to maintaining access to electricity as smart metres are installed in your area.