KENYA: Consumers to Pay More for Electricity in June

• Consumers to pay more in June

• Increase in fuel costs for thermal plants to blame
• EPRA raises forex rates

Consumers in Kenya will pay more for electricity in June due to the rising cost of petroleum prices worldwide. An additional Sh817.6 million will be paid by consumers this June in electricity bills. Nearly 20% of the electricity bills will go to thermal generating plants to cover fuel costs.

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) recently adjusted the foreign exchange rate for fluctuations, raising it by 10 cents. “Pursuant to Clause 1 of Part III of the Schedule of Tariffs 2018, notice is given that all prices for electrical energy specified in Part II of the said schedule will be liable to a fuel energy cost charge of plus 363 Kenya cents per kWh for all meter readings to be taken in June 2021″, the EPRA said.

Small and medium scale businesses will be most affected by the rise in tariffs. ”High electricity bills are an increasing headache not just for large businesses, but are also hitting ordinary and comparatively smaller consumers such as kinyozi (barbers), laundry and welders. As a result, it will eventually inhibit productivity as people will look to cut down on their electricity costs”, businessman Eric Koguya says.