Consumers across Ghana will begin paying more for electricity and water services from July 1, 2026, after the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) approved upward tariff adjustments for the third quarter of the year.
Electricity tariffs have been increased by 3.49%, while water tariffs have gone up by 0.85%. The Commission says the changes apply across all consumer categories and are part of its routine quarterly review process.
According to PURC, the adjustments are influenced by key economic and operational factors affecting utility providers. These include the cedi-to-dollar exchange rate, inflation trends, the cost of natural gas used for power generation, and the country’s electricity generation mix.
For the review period, the Commission applied an average exchange rate of GHS11.2228 to the US dollar, reflecting a marginal 0.2% depreciation of the cedi. Inflation averaged 3.43%, down from 4.17% in the previous quarter, while the cost of natural gas declined by 1.58% to USD7.9708 per MMBtu. The hydro-thermal generation mix remained unchanged at 20.9% hydro and 79.1% thermal.
Based on these indicators, electricity tariffs were adjusted upward for residential, non-residential, and special load tariff customers.
Under the new rates, residential consumers on the lifeline band those using up to 30 kilowatt-hours per month will now pay 89.93 pesewas per kilowatt-hour, up from 86.9 pesewas.
Water tariffs have also been revised across all customer categories, including households, businesses, industries, public institutions, and bulk consumers. The residential lifeline rate for water usage up to five cubic metres has increased from 593.49 pesewas per cubic metre to 598.54 pesewas per cubic metre.
PURC says the quarterly adjustments are designed to preserve the real value of tariffs while ensuring utility service providers remain financially sustainable and able to deliver reliable services.
The Commission added that it will continue to monitor the performance of utility providers and enforce regulatory standards aimed at improving service delivery.
The revised tariffs will be published in the official gazette and on PURC’s website in the coming days.
