- Kenya Power sees a drop in electricity consumption
- Relies on industrial and urban customers to boost revenues
Electricity Consumption in rural areas has dropped, says state-owned power utility Kenya Power. This comes as the average monthly electricity consumption of rural households connected to the national grid is a six-kilowatt hour (kWh) that is currently valued at Sh100.45 or Sh3.34 a day, according to the utility company. Kenya Power says rural residential customers have failed to lift electricity consumption levels; therefore, it relies on industrial consumers and urban customers to improve its revenue indices.
According to Kenya Power, ”A majority of the new connections are for domestic rural customers under the last mile programme. The consumption of these customers is average about six units per month, which explains the low revenues”. ”The company will intensify sales growth through increased connectivity targeting premium customers by offering deferred payment arrangements and accelerated connection times”, Kenya Power said in its virtual Questions and Answers session with investors.
The low standard of living among most Kenyan households, especially in the rural areas and urban slums, means residential customers may opt not to connect electrical gadgets like fridges, TV, cookers, microwaves and electric heaters to electricity supply. However, Kenya has improved electricity access across the country, particularly in rural areas, over the past decade under the Last Mile Connectivity Project.