PURC maintains electricity, water tariffs for Fourth Quarter 2026
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has maintained electricity and water tariffs at their existing third-quarter levels, with no adjustment for the fourth quarter of 2026.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has maintained electricity and water tariffs at their existing third-quarter levels, with no adjustment for the fourth quarter of 2026.
The unchanged tariffs will take effect from October 1, 2026, and remain applicable throughout the quarter.
Water Tariffs have equally not been adjusted for the fourth quarter of 2026, but remain same as in the third quarter of 2026.
The unchanged tariffs will therefore remain in effect from October 1 through December 31, 2026.
"The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission wishes to inform consumers of electricity and water that; the existing electricity and water tariffs of the third Quarter have not changed (0%), but remain same in the fourth Quarter," PURC said.
In a statement issued on September 24, the Commission said the decision followed its quarterly review of utility tariffs, which considers developments in key economic and operational factors affecting electricity and water service delivery.
The review is intended to preserve the real value of existing tariffs, support the financial viability of utility service providers and enable them to continue delivering services to consumers.
According to the PURC, the review took into account the Ghana cedi-US dollar exchange rate, domestic inflation, electricity generation mix and the cost of natural gas used to power thermal plants.
The Commission applied a weighted average exchange rate of GH¢11.5646 to US$1 for the fourth quarter, representing a 3.04% depreciation of the cedi from the third-quarter rate of GH¢11.2228 to US$1.
It also applied an average annual inflation rate of 4.97% for the fourth quarter, compared with 3.43% in the previous quarter, indicating an upward review of 44.89%.
The weighted average cost of natural gas, however, declined by 1.67% from US$7.9708 per MMBtu to US$7.8379 per MMBtu.
The projected electricity generation mix also shifted in favour of hydro sources.
Hydropower generation is expected to increase from 20.90% in the third quarter to 24.25% in the fourth quarter, while thermal generation is projected to decline from 79.10% to 75.75%.
The PURC said the combined impact of these factors informed its decision to maintain electricity tariffs at their existing levels.
The Commission said it is grateful to all its stakeholders for their support in implementing these Quarterly Tariff Reviews, which the Commission says will help address changes in operational parameters, that are beyond the control of service providers.
The Commission noted it is equally mindful of consumers' concerns on quality of service and will continue to monitor operations of the regulated service providers, to hold them accountable to the Commission's regulatory standards and benchmarks to ensure value for money and improved quality of service delivery.