EPRA Hikes Power Tariffs by Sh5.24 From October

The EPRA electricity price hike The October announcement has landed like a bolt from the blue for Kenyan households, with the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority approving a Sh5.24 increase per unit that will sting October bills for everyone from token-toppers in Kibera to postpaid payers in Karen.

Effective immediately, the adjustment, tied to surging fuel costs and global energy volatility, means the average family could fork out an extra Sh300 to Sh500 monthly, just as the festive season looms with its wallet woes.

EPRA’s quarterly review, gazetted late Friday, pegs the new rate at Sh27.64 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for domestic users, up from Sh22.40, hitting both prepaid and postpaid meters without mercy.

“This isn’t a blanket shock; it’s calibrated to pass-through costs we can’t absorb alone,” EPRA Director-General Daniel Kiptoo explained in a terse statement, pointing fingers at a 15% spike in thermal generation expenses amid erratic hydropower.

For context, Kenya Power, the sole distributor, relies on a mix of hydroelectric power (currently under 40% due to droughts) and expensive diesel backups, creating a fluctuating tariff situation influenced by rising imported oil prices since the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In low-income estates like Dandora, where a 30-unit monthly load is the norm, the EPRA electricity price hike in October means scraping deeper for basics; think dimmer bulbs during blackouts or skipped evening charges for kids’ tablets.

“We load Sh500 tokens that barely last two weeks; now it’s like EPRA’s squeezing the last drop,” lamented single mother Jane Wanjiku, 42, from her cramped one-bedroom, her voice heavy with the math of survival.

Businesses aren’t spared either: small welders in industrial areas and mama mbogas with fridges face a 20-30% cost creep, potentially fuelling price tags on everything from chapatis to car repairs. Critics aren’t mincing words.