This schedule introduced favourable Small Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) -based trading options, e.g. trading with generators up to 100 MW without the need of a NERSA licence, as well a variation of these generators. Building on this significant amendment, a more comprehensive electricity reform was introduced to South African municipalities with the Electricity Regulation Amendment Act (ERAA), which came into effect on 1 January 2025. While this opens up exciting opportunities for cost savings and improved energy security, it also introduces a host of new distribution-grid-related, institutional and regulatory challenges. Utility Consulting Solutions (UTCS) is offering a vital, future-ready solution to help municipalities manage this shift with confidence and full compliance.

For decades, municipalities operated in a straightforward energy environment, relying almost exclusively on Eskom as their bulk electricity supplier. The introduction of schedule 2 of the ERA and ERAA changes this paradigm entirely. Municipalities must now navigate a growing marketplace of independent power producers, renewable energy suppliers, and licensed traders, each offering different pricing structures, supply arrangements, and contractual obligations. This change requires procurement teams to assess multiple offers, validate supply capabilities, and ensure all transactions comply with a new and complex set of regulations. Meanwhile, the municipality must still ensure that distribution grid compliance is adhered to in a low-resolution 30min-interval-based fashion and still pursue the noble goal of ensuring that this transition to alternative electricity trading is indeed just for all, yes, making good to their constitutional mandate of ensuring equitable access to the benefits associated with this new era of trading, is indeed open for all consumers

According to Christo Nicholls, CEO of UTCS, this is the most significant transformation in South Africa’s electricity landscape in over a century. “Municipalities that were used to managing a single supplier now need to track and validate multiple energy contracts at once. Each transaction must be measured for the quantity of electricity delivered, the timing of that delivery, and whether it meets national and local compliance standards. It's a steep learning curve, and the consequences for non-compliance are serious.”

The practical challenges of this new environment are considerable. Traditional procurement methods - many of them still manual or spreadsheet-based - are simply not equipped to handle the volume, speed, and complexity of ERAA-era trading. Municipalities must now be able to verify that each supplier can deliver electricity when promised, in the amounts specified, and to the standards required. They must also prove, in real time, that these transactions meet the conditions set out by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), the NRS097 technical standards, and the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA). Delays or errors in this process can lead to low levels of consumer trust, reputational damage, and heavy financial repercussions.

UTCS has developed a bespoke platform that simplifies and automates this process. Designed specifically for South Africa’s evolving energy market, the platform provides near-to-real-time validation of electricity trades and continuous monitoring for legislative compliance. It uses 30-minute interval data to confirm the volume of electricity supplied in each transaction, while simultaneously scanning for any compliance risks across all relevant regulations.

Rather than relying on periodic compliance reviews, the UTCS system performs live assessments as trades occur. This ensures that potential issues are flagged early and that municipalities can act swiftly to address them. Procurement officers are freed from the burden of manual tracking and reporting, and can instead focus on securing the best possible electricity deals, knowing that compliance and data validation are happening in the background.

UTCS has already supported the trading of more than 1.5 million units of electricity through its system - all while maintaining a perfect compliance record. The platform’s ability to provide accurate, real-time visibility into supplier performance and contractual obligations gives municipalities the confidence to engage with a broader range of suppliers without putting service reliability or financial oversight at risk.

Looking ahead, municipalities that adopt modern, automated trading and compliance tools will have a clear advantage in this new energy landscape. The ability to act quickly, validate data accurately, and remain compliant with national legislation will be essential for those seeking to reduce electricity costs while ensuring energy stability for their communities.

It is imperative to note that this UtCS Digital Energy Trading Platform effectively pulls three key municipal SSEG activation pillars together in a seamless fashion, namely: Full-spectrum-activated Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology, Convoluted legislation addressing procurement, quality of supply, compliant grid integration and NERSA generation asset compliance, and lastly cross departmental institutionalization.

“The ERAA has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity for municipalities to take real ownership of their electricity procurement strategies,” said Nicholls. “Those that move quickly and adopt the right tools will see major benefits in terms of both cost and security. Those that delay may find themselves left behind in a far more competitive market.”