Electricity costs in Kenya have been hiked by up to 63 per cent. This increase is set to come into effect from April 1 2023.
The costs increase marks the first time that the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority(EPRA) has reviewed power tariffs since 2018. In the increase, EPRA has raised base power prices to Sh. 12.22 per unit from Sh. 10 for those consuming below 30 units representing a 22.2 percent jump.
It has put further pressure on consumers using between 30-100 units by increasing the cost from Sh. 10 to Sh.16.3 representing a 63 per cent increase.
For every Sh. 2,000 used to buy tokens, Sh. 1,750 going to taxes, charges
At the same time, consumers who take in more than 100 units of electricity will now pay Sh. 20.97 per unit up from Sh. 15.8 representing a 32 per cent increase.
This increase comes barely days after the national power provider, Kenya Power, started hiding the breakdown of costs of power per tokens purchased.
Kenya Power claimed that it had stopped giving the breakdown following protests from the public. In reality though, the breakdown was stopped in order to prevent consumers from seeing the exorbitant levies and charges that make up the highest percentage in the purchase of tokens.