The Public Utility Regulation Commission (PURC) has published an increment and a reduction in the tariffs of water and electricity respectively for both residential and non-residential customers.
For water, the PURC published an increased rate of about 0.34% and a downwards adjustment of about 1.52% for electricity.
The various tariff adjustments will take effect on December 1, 2023.
However these adjustments, according to the commission, take into account factors such as domestic inflation, exchange rates, price of natural gas, and operational costs for the utility providers, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).
As households and businesses prepare for the impact on their budgets, here's a breakdown of how the PURC rate adjustments will affect water and electricity bills.
Electricity Tariff
Lifeline Consumers
These are customers who consume between 0-30 kWh of electricity. They fall within the Residential Customer Group. With an existing rate of Ghana Cedis per minute (GH¢) 0.6446 and a reduced tariff of 1.52%, these customers will now be charged GH¢ 0.6348 of electricity per minute. This means the tariff for this group goes for GH¢2.13 a month.
All other Residential Customers
Residential customers who consume between 0-601 kWh, and pay between GH¢1.42 and GH¢2.04, are expected to enjoy a reduced price between GH¢1.27 and GH¢2.01 respectively.
Non-Residential Customers
Non-Residential consumers, comprising business areas or factories, fall into two categories based on their electricity consumption, ranging from 0-300 kWh and 601+ kWh.
As a result of the tariff reduction implemented by the PURC, Non-Residential electricity consumers currently paying between GH¢1.289 and GH¢2.05 per unit will experience a reduced pricing structure of GH¢1.27 and GH¢2.01 for the energy consumed per minute.
Water Tariff
Residential Customers
Residential customers using 0 to 5 cubic metres (m3) currently face charges ranging from GH¢4.72 to GH¢8.36. Following the recent adjustment, these customer categories will now incur fees of GH¢4.74 and GH¢8.39.
Non-Residential Consumers
Businesses and factories within these categories of water consumers, previously paying GH¢14.13 per cubic metre, will now be charged GH¢14.19 per cubic metre.
The impact of the tariff adjustment by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) will vary for each customer, primarily influenced by their individual usage patterns of both water and electricity appliances.
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