1. THE FIVE PHASES OF MAURITIAN ELECTRICITY (1990-2026)
Weighted average residential tariff (0-300 kWh brackets) · Source: CEB General Notices + Solar Rent Research
The era of cheap stability
Mauritius benefits from some of the lowest electricity tariffs in the region. Household consumption is moderate: little air conditioning and no explosion of digital devices yet. The CEB, powered mainly by heavy fuel oil and bagasse (sugarcane residue), keeps prices stable thanks to still-controlled import costs. The base tariff sits between Rs 1.20 and Rs 1.80 for common residential brackets. This period matches Mauritius' post-structural-adjustment economic rise, with a flourishing textile industry and fast-growing tourism.
The first adjustments
Rising oil prices (peaking at USD 147/barrel in July 2008) and the gradual depreciation of the Mauritian rupee against the dollar force the CEB to adjust its tariff grids in successive steps. Residential consumption rises sharply as air conditioning and electronic devices become mainstream. The average kWh cost crosses Rs 3.00 for intermediate brackets, then Rs 4.00 to Rs 4.50 around 2009-2010. These adjustments remain partial, however: the government absorbs part of the extra cost through direct subsidies to the CEB.
The big freeze — 13 years of subsidies
For more than ten years, residential electricity tariffs did not move in Mauritius. The government heavily subsidised the CEB to stabilise purchasing power despite the continuous increase in global production costs. While this policy protected households in the short term, it created a huge structural deficit: CEB debt exceeded Rs 15 billion in 2022. During the freeze, the real cost of producing each kWh continued to rise, widening the gap between the billed tariff and the real cost — a gap indirectly funded by Mauritian taxpayers through the state budget.
The end of broad subsidies
In February 2023, a first historic reform comes into force, introducing a progressive 12-bracket grid. Heavy consumers (above 300 kWh/month) see their tariffs cross Rs 10.00/kWh. Modest households (< 100 kWh/month) receive partial protection. This reform marks the end of the universal subsidy model and signals a gradual tariff normalisation. It sends a clear message: the state can no longer absorb global oil shocks indefinitely on behalf of consumers.
The latest oil shock (+15%)
Because of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the surge in heavy fuel oil prices in 2025-2026, the government approves a general 15% increase in electricity tariffs, effective May 1, 2026. Households registered with the Social Register of Mauritius (SRM) receive partial protection. This increase brings the average residential tariff to Rs 8.28/kWh and the maximum tariff (above 1000 kWh/month) to Rs 13.06/kWh — more than 11 times the base tariff since 1990 for heavy consumers.
Evolution of the average residential CEB tariff — 1990 to 2026
Weighted average residential tariff (0-300 kWh brackets) · Indicative data · Source: CEB General Notices + Solar Rent Research
2. CEB TARIFF GRID AS OF MAY 1, 2026 — 12 BRACKETS
Source: CEB General Notice No. 473 of 2026 · Progressive residential pricing — tiered system
From Rs 3.63/kWh (0-25 kWh bracket) to Rs 13.06/kWh (over 1000 kWh) — a 1 to 3.6 ratio between the lowest and highest brackets.
3. CONCRETE IMPACT ON YOUR MONTHLY BILL
CEB bill simulation by household profile — 2010 vs 2023 vs May 2026 comparison
| Household profile | Avg. use | 2010 bill | 2023 bill | May 2026 bill | Solar Rent lease |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small house | 150 kWh | Rs 630 | Rs 820 | Rs 943 | from Rs 1 000/month |
| Medium house | 300 kWh | Rs 1 260 | Rs 1 950 | Rs 2 243 | from Rs 2 000/month |
| Large house | 500 kWh | Rs 2 100 | Rs 3 640 | Rs 4 186 | from Rs 3 000/month |
| Villa with pool | 800 kWh | Rs 3 360 | Rs 7 200 | Rs 8 280 | from Rs 4 000/month |
Monthly bill evolution by profile
Indicative simulation excluding meter rental · Based on CEB General Notice No. 473 of 2026
A standard house consuming 350 kWh/month paid Rs 1 470/month in 2010. In May 2026, the same bill reaches Rs 2 801/month — an increase of +90% over 16 years. Over one year, that is Rs 15 972 more than in 2010. Over 20 years, if the trend continues at +10%/year, the same household will have spent Rs 2.1 million more on electricity than in a stable-price scenario.
4. 20-YEAR CEB TARIFF PROJECTION (2026-2046)
Based on the Rs 8.28/kWh tariff (May 2026) · Indicative simulation across different evolution scenarios
Indicative simulation based on the Rs 8.28/kWh tariff (May 2026) · Before losses, curtailment and future regulatory decisions.
5. FOSSIL DEPENDENCE: MAURITIUS IN REGIONAL CONTEXT
Why Mauritius is structurally exposed to global oil shocks — and why this will not change before 2030
CEB energy mix (2025)
⚠ 82.3% of generation depends on imported fossil fuels priced in USD
Source: Ministry of Energy & Public Utilities — Annual Report 2023-2024 · IEA Mauritius 2023Structural drivers of increases
6. TIME-OF-USE PRICING: A THREAT TURNED INTO AN ASSET
Why Time-of-Use pricing will spread, what it will cost households, and why the Solar Rent battery turns it into a decisive advantage
The Time-of-Use tariff, or ToU, breaks with the logic of progressive pricing. Where the progressive tariff bills electricity according to the volume consumed during the month, rewarding lower consumption through cheaper first brackets, the hourly tariff bills according to when electricity is consumed. A kWh drawn at 7 p.m., when the whole island switches on lights and air conditioners, mobilises the most expensive power plants in the fleet; a kWh drawn at 3 a.m. costs almost nothing to produce. ToU reflects this reality in the bill.
Two hourly grids currently coexist. The 150C tariff applies to electric vehicles and is not our focus here. The 150D tariff, however, applies to residents of IRS and RES complexes who have become prosumers, and this is the tariff used in our simulations: 12.78 Rs/kWh during the day, 18.94 Rs/kWh between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., and 12.24 Rs/kWh at night. The evening peak is charged at nearly one and a half times the daytime tariff.
Time-based pricing has not been extended to all households. We offer it only as a simulation option to show the possible cost of heavier evening use. It is not an announced CEB decision.
This is exactly where the logic reverses. For a household without storage, moving to ToU means a higher bill with no escape: evening consumption cannot simply be shifted, dinner is not eaten at noon. For a home equipped with a Solar Rent battery, the evening peak is covered by solar energy stored during the day, and every avoided kWh is now worth 18.94 Rs instead of 12.78 Rs. The harsher the hourly tariff, the higher the saving generated by the battery. A tariff tightening that penalises the neighbourhood becomes, for the Solar Rent customer, an additional yield.
ToU 150D schedule — running charges on net import
Official 150C tariff (7.53/11.50/4.60) is inconsistent — simulation based on an estimated corrected tariff · CEB correction expected
Major caveat
Your Solar Rent battery: your best protection from summer 2026
The battery stores free solar energy produced during the day and releases it during the evening peak, billed at 18.94 Rs/kWh. Each kWh avoided between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. is therefore worth one and a half times a kWh avoided during the day.
Measuring the impact of hourly pricing on your profile
The default split — 35% during the day, 35% during the evening peak, 30% at night — reflects a Mauritian household profile, where consumption is concentrated during the three hours after returning from work. Adjust the sliders to test your own profile.
×2.7 more expensive
| kWh/day | Std/year | Std/month | ToU/year | ToU/month | Impact/year | Extra cost |
|---|
Calculation: ToU running charges only (excluding Other Charges T-SO-SB, Power-Base Generation Charge and CST) · Standard grid: monthly progressive CEB May 2026 · Split adjustable above
7. PROTECT YOURSELF: DISTRIBUTED SOLAR AS A TARIFF SHIELD
Understand the protection mechanism provided by a solar system with battery storage against CEB increases
Capped rent
Solar Rent's rent progression is contractually capped at +6%/yr maximum, whatever happens to fuel oil prices or CEB decisions.
Growing savings
Every CEB tariff increase mechanically improves your net saving. The more CEB rises, the wider the gap with your capped rent grows in your favour.
Energy independence
A solar + battery system covers 60 to 80% of a Mauritian household's annual consumption, reducing dependence on the CEB grid accordingly.
8 · CEB NET METERING OPTION
Your solar surplus, explained simply
Your solar energy powers your home first. Any energy exported to the grid is first offset against electricity you import from the CEB, before any valuation at Rs 3/kWh.
Step 1
Your home comes first
You use your own solar electricity and energy stored in the battery first.
Step 2
The CEB balances each month
Exported kWh offset kWh imported from the grid. Any net kWh in your favour are carried forward to subsequent months.
Step 3
The year-end balance is valued at Rs 3/kWh
After annual reconciliation, only the remaining net kWh in your favour are valued at Rs 3/kWh on your CEB account.
An example, with unchanged usage
If 200 kWh remain after the year’s offsets: 200 × Rs 3 =
This rupee credit may offset charges on your CEB account. If a balance remains, it may be cashed out once a year after 12 billing periods. It is neither an automatic monthly payment nor a discount on your Solar Rent service fee.
Illustrative example under Net Metering. Source: Annex 2, clauses 8–9 (offset and carry-forward); CEB agreement, clauses 6.6–6.7 (credit and encashment).
Read the official CEB terms9. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Between 2010 and early 2023, the Mauritian government chose to heavily subsidise the Central Electricity Board (CEB) to keep residential tariffs stable despite the continued rise in global production costs. This policy aimed to protect household purchasing power. The cost of this subsidy reached several billion rupees per year and became unsustainable over the long term. In 2022, CEB's accumulated debt was close to Rs 15 billion, forcing the 2023 reform.
A combination of factors made the reform unavoidable: the post-COVID surge in heavy fuel oil and coal prices, the depreciation of the Mauritian rupee against the dollar, and the accumulation of CEB deficits. The 2023 reform primarily targeted heavy consumers to preserve modest households.
Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East caused another surge in heavy fuel oil prices in 2025-2026. Mauritius, which depends on imported fossil fuels for more than 80% of its energy, is particularly vulnerable to these shocks. The 15% increase effective May 1, 2026 brings the average residential tariff to Rs 8.28/kWh.
TOU pricing is a system where the kWh price varies by time of day. For households with a solar battery, TOU represents an additional savings opportunity.
The SRM is a national database of the most vulnerable households. Registered households receive partial tariff protection on the first consumption brackets.
The only structural protection is to reduce dependence on the grid. With Solar Rent, your rent is capped at +6%/year maximum, independent of fuel oil fluctuations.
The government's 60% renewable target for 2030 is ambitious but technically achievable through the large-scale deployment of solar PV and battery storage.
EVERY CEB INCREASE IS AN ADDITIONAL SAVING FOR YOU
With Solar Rent, your rent progression is contractually capped at +6%/yr. Meanwhile the CEB tariff keeps rising, and faster. The gap between the two curves is your real saving — and it widens every year.