PURC increases electricity tariff by 27.15%, water bill by 21%

The Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC) has on Monday, August 15, 2022 announced an increment in electricity and water tariffs.

Electricity tariff was increased by 27.15% whiles water tariff was pegged at 21%.

According to PURC, these new tariffs will take effect from Thursday, September 1, 2022.

In a press statement sighted by GhanaWeb, the Executive Secretary of PURC, Dr. Ishmael Ackah, noted that, “In balancing the interests of service providers and consumers, the PURC acknowledged that the very economic variables that have occasioned the steep increases proposed by the service providers also affect consumers.”

“The Commission admitted, however, that some level of increases in utility tariffs were inevitable if the nation was to avoid another dumsor and its attendant effects including job losses. The Commission therefore decided to increase the average end-user tariff for electricity by 27.15% and water by 21.55% effective September 1, 2022,” part of the release read.

He stated that these rates represented the positions of all stakeholders in the utility space in line with sections 3(c) of PURC Act 1997 (Act 538).

It would be recalled that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) had earlier made claims for an increment in their tariffs.

The Electricity Company of Ghana demanded a 148% increase in tariff whiles Ghana Water Company Limited, on the other hand, requested a 334% increase in tariff.

A proposal from the power distributor submitted to the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) wanted the adjustment to cover the period 2019 and 2022.

ECG also proposed an average increase of 7.6% in tariff over the next four years to cover Distribution Service Charges (DSC).

These proposals generated widespread conversation with many Ghanaians asking the PURC to reject these proposals.

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But PURC assured consumers that the proposal tabled before the commission will be transparent and ensure that the decision to be taken will benefit both consumers and the regulated utility companies.