CheckMyWatts — Terms and Conditions

Version 2.3 | Effective Date: 26 March 2026 Last Updated: 26 March 2026

⚠️ Note to CheckMyWatts: These Terms & Conditions have been drafted for your review and must be reviewed by a qualified South African attorney before publication. Do not publish these as legally binding terms without professional legal review.

1. About CheckMyWatts

1.1 CheckMyWatts ("the Site", "we", "us", "our") is an independent, free educational resource designed to help South African consumers understand prepaid electricity billing, block tariff structures, and their rights under South African law.

1.2 CheckMyWatts is operated as an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to any of the following:

  • The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA)
  • Eskom SOC Limited
  • Any South African municipality or metropolitan council
  • Any sub-metering company, prepaid vending platform, or electricity reseller
  • Any government department or state-owned entity

1.3 By accessing or using CheckMyWatts you agree to these Terms and Conditions in full. If you do not agree, you must not use the Site.

2. Nature of the Service

2.1 CheckMyWatts provides:

  • Educational information about how prepaid electricity billing works in South Africa
  • A calculation tool that estimates electricity costs based on publicly available, NERSA-approved municipal tariff schedules
  • Information about consumer rights under South African electricity legislation
  • Links to official government and regulatory documents

2.2 CheckMyWatts does not provide:

  • Legal advice
  • Financial advice
  • Official billing statements or account information
  • Any service connected to the actual supply of electricity
  • Any service that can alter, dispute or override your electricity account

2.3 The calculation tool on CheckMyWatts produces estimates only. Actual amounts charged by your municipality, Eskom, or sub-metering company may differ from estimates produced by this Site for reasons including but not limited to:

  • Your specific tariff category or customer classification
  • Municipal arrears recovery deductions
  • Free Basic Electricity (FBE) allocations
  • Changes to tariff structure during the financial year
  • Meter-specific configurations
  • Connection capacity charges
  • Pro-rata billing for fixed monthly charges

3. Accuracy of Information

3.1 We make every reasonable effort to ensure that tariff information, legislative references and regulatory information published on this Site is accurate and sourced from official primary sources.

3.2 Tariff rates change annually. Municipal tariffs are updated on 1 July each year. Eskom direct customer tariffs are updated on 1 April each year. While we endeavour to update the Site promptly following these changes, we cannot guarantee that all information is current at the time of your visit.

3.3 Where a tariff rate, legal statement or regulatory reference is published on this Site, we have made reasonable efforts to link it to the primary official source. If you find any inaccuracy, please contact us immediately at info@checkmywatts.co.za.

3.4 Despite our best efforts, CheckMyWatts cannot guarantee the absolute accuracy, completeness or currency of any information on the Site. You are encouraged to verify all information directly with your municipality, Eskom, or NERSA before making any decisions.

3.5 Legislative and regulatory information published on this Site is provided for general educational purposes. South African electricity regulation is complex and your specific circumstances may be governed by additional or different rules. Always consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation.

4. Limitation of Liability

4.1 To the maximum extent permitted by South African law, CheckMyWatts, its operators, contributors and affiliates accept no liability whatsoever for:

  • Any loss, damage or harm arising from reliance on information published on this Site
  • Any inaccuracy in tariff calculations produced by the calculation tool
  • Any decision made by a user based on information or calculations from this Site
  • Any dispute between a user and their electricity supplier, landlord, body corporate or sub-metering company arising from or related to use of this Site
  • Any loss of electricity supply, financial loss, or consequential loss of any kind
  • Any technical errors, downtime, data loss, or service interruptions

4.2 CheckMyWatts provides its service "as is" and "as available" without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

4.3 Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under South African law.

5. Translations

5.1 CheckMyWatts is available in English, Afrikaans, isiZulu and IsiXhosa.

5.2 Translations into Afrikaans, isiZulu and IsiXhosa are machine-generated and have not been verified by qualified human translators.

5.3 In the event of any inconsistency, ambiguity or conflict between the English version and any translated version of any content on this Site, the English version prevails.

5.4 We do not warrant the accuracy of any machine-generated translation. Users who rely on translated content do so at their own risk.

5.5 Legal rights information in particular should always be read in the English version to ensure accuracy.

6. Use of Official Documents

6.1 This Site links to and makes available for download copies of official South African government and regulatory documents including but not limited to:

  • NERSA Guidelines on Electricity Resale (2016)
  • Electricity Regulation Act, No. 4 of 2006
  • Electricity Regulation Amendment Act 38 of 2024
  • NERSA Consultation Papers

6.2 These documents are the property of their respective issuing authorities. They are reproduced here solely for public interest and educational purposes under the principle that official government documents are in the public domain.

6.3 CheckMyWatts does not claim ownership of any official government or regulatory document.

6.4 The source URL for each document is recorded and published alongside the document. Users are encouraged to verify documents against the primary source.

7. Privacy & Data

7.1 CheckMyWatts does not collect, store or transmit any personal information.

7.2 The only data stored by this Site is stored locally on your device using your browser's localStorage functionality:

  • Your language preference (cmw_language)
  • The date you last acknowledged these Terms (cmw_consent_date)

7.3 This data never leaves your device and is not accessible to CheckMyWatts or any third party.

7.4 If you clear your browser data or use private/incognito browsing, this locally stored data is deleted automatically.

7.5 CheckMyWatts does not use cookies for tracking purposes.

7.6 CheckMyWatts complies with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA). As no personal information is collected, no further obligations under POPIA are triggered at this time.

9. Intellectual Property

9.1 The CheckMyWatts name, logo, design, and original content (excluding official government documents) are the intellectual property of CheckMyWatts.

9.2 You may not reproduce, distribute, modify or commercially exploit any original content from this Site without prior written permission.

9.3 You may share links to this Site freely. You may quote brief extracts for non-commercial, educational purposes provided the source is clearly attributed as "CheckMyWatts (checkmywatts.co.za)".

10. External Links

10.1 This Site contains links to external websites including official government, regulatory and municipal websites.

10.2 These links are provided for convenience and informational purposes only. CheckMyWatts does not control and is not responsible for the content, accuracy or availability of any external website.

10.3 Linking to an external site does not constitute endorsement of that site or its content.

10.4 External links are verified at time of publication but may become unavailable. If you find a broken link please contact us at info@checkmywatts.co.za.

11. Consumer Rights Information

11.1 Information about consumer rights published on this Site is based on South African legislation and NERSA guidelines as understood at the time of publication.

11.2 This information is provided to help consumers understand their general rights. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such.

11.3 If you believe your rights are being violated, we recommend:

  1. First raising the issue directly with your electricity supplier in writing
  2. Escalating to your municipality or Eskom if unresolved
  3. Contacting NERSA if the matter remains unresolved
  4. Seeking independent legal advice for serious disputes

11.4 CheckMyWatts encourages calm, informed dialogue between consumers and suppliers. This Site is not intended to facilitate or encourage confrontational or legal action.

12. Amendments to These Terms

12.1 CheckMyWatts reserves the right to update these Terms at any time.

12.2 Updated Terms will be published on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date.

12.3 Continued use of the Site after any amendment constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

12.4 Where changes are material, we will update the version number at the top of this document.

13. Governing Law

13.1 These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

13.2 Any dispute arising from these Terms or your use of this Site shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the South African courts.

14. Payment Processing

14.1 Third-Party Payments Payments are processed via third-party providers (e.g., PayFast).

14.2 Responsibility We do not store payment details and are not responsible for payment provider errors.

15. Cookies

CheckMyWatts uses cookies and similar browser storage technologies. By continuing to use CheckMyWatts after being presented with the cookie notice, you consent to the use of cookies as described in this section and in our Privacy Policy.

15.1 Strictly necessary cookies and local storage CheckMyWatts uses browser local storage (not traditional cookies) for strictly necessary purposes, including:

  • Storing your acceptance of this disclaimer and the site's terms of use
  • Storing your language preference
  • Storing your cookie consent choice

These are required for the site to function as intended. They do not track your activity across other websites and do not store personal information.

15.2 Managing cookies You may manage your browser's cookie settings at any time through your browser preferences. Please note that disabling cookies may affect site functionality.

16. Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms, find any inaccuracy on the Site, or wish to report a concern:

Email: legal@checkmywatts.co.za Website: https://www.checkmywatts.co.za

For electricity billing complaints and disputes: Contact your local municipality. If you need to escalate, contact NERSA: complaints@nersa.org.za | 012 401 4600 | www.nersa.org.za

17. Acknowledgement

By clicking "I Agree, Continue" on the CheckMyWatts welcome screen, you confirm that:

  • [ ] You have read and understood these Terms and Conditions
  • [ ] You understand that CheckMyWatts is an independent educational resource not affiliated with any electricity authority
  • [ ] You understand that calculations are estimates only and may not reflect your actual charges
  • [ ] You understand that machine translations are provided for accessibility and the English version is authoritative
  • [ ] You are 18 years of age or older, or are accessing the Site with the consent of a parent or guardian

CheckMyWatts Terms & Conditions v2.3