Electricity And Water Tariff: PURC Increases Cost Of Electricity By 29.96% And Water By 8.3 Percent

• The utility regulator has announced higher tariffs for electricity and water in its 2023 first quarter tariff review
• The PURC has said electricity will now cost 29.96% more while water costs 8.3% more in what many fear will hike up the cost of living
• The regulator said the increase for electricity for instance is important to prevent the country from going back to the days of erratic power supply or 'dumsor'

The cost of electricity and water have been increased significantly by the Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC) in a release issued on January 16, 2023.

According to the PURC, from February 1, 2023, electricity tariffs for all consumer groups will be increased by 29.96%, while water sees an 8.3% increase.

“The Commission however approved varying rates of adjustments including some reductions for selected industrial and commercial consumers as part of the ongoing restructuring of the existing water rate structure,” the PURC said in the release.

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According to the release titled "2023 First Quarter Tariff Review Decision For National Gas, Electricity And Water," signed by Executive Secretary Dr Ishmael Ackah, the tariff increases have become important despite the economic challenges.

The statement explained that the increases are important to prevent a potential return to the days of erratic power supply.

The Commission said a return to the days of dumsor would be “catastrophic for Ghana”.

The PURC has said it will always strive to equitably balance the interests of the utility service and consumers.

The PURC also promised to hold service providers to strict adherence to regulatory standards and benchmarks.

The unstable cedi-dollar exchange rate, the high cost of fuel and skyrocketing inflation influenced the Commission's decision to review the tariff for electricity and water upward.

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The the PURC, these three factors have significantly increased the cost of production for the utility companies.

PURC Announces Higher Utility Rates In September 2022

Late last year, YEN.com.gh reported that the utility regulator announced higher tariffs for electricity and water which was expected to take effect from September 1, 2022.

At the time, PURC said the cost of electricity has been hiked by 27.15%, while water will cost 21.55% more.

This meant that if a consumer used to load GH¢200 on their prepaid card for a month, they would need more than GH¢250 for the same period.

Source: YEN.com.gh