Accra, March 13, – The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has announced a reduction in electricity and water tariffs, which will take effect on April 1, 2026, as part of its second-quarter tariff review.
Under the new adjustments, electricity tariffs will decrease by an average of 4.81 per cent, while water tariffs will drop by 3.06 per cent.
The Commission explained that the decision, announced on February 13, was influenced by improvements in key macroeconomic indicators, alongside its responsibility to protect consumers while ensuring the financial sustainability of utility service providers.
For electricity consumers, residential lifeline users consuming 0–30 kWh will now pay 86.90 pesewas per kWh, reduced from 88.37 pesewas. Households consuming 0–300 kWh will pay 196.88 pesewas per kWh, down from 200.21 pesewas.
Non-residential customers within the 0–300 kWh bracket will pay 177.75 pesewas per kWh, compared with the previous 180.76 pesewas, while those consuming above 301 kWh will now pay 216.49 pesewas per kWh, reduced from 224.64 pesewas.
Customers under the Special Load Tariff category, which includes large-scale electricity users, will also benefit from the reduction. Low-voltage users will now pay 232.11 pesewas per kWh, down from 269.77 pesewas, while high-voltage users will pay 182.12 pesewas per kWh, compared with the previous 215.34 pesewas.
On the water tariff side, residential lifeline consumers using 0–5 cubic metres will pay GH¢5.93 per cubic metre, reduced from GH¢6.12. Consumption above five cubic metres will fall from GH¢10.83 to GH¢10.50 per cubic metre.
For non-residential users, the tariff will decline from GH¢18.33 to GH¢17.76 per cubic metre, while commercial customers will now pay GH¢31.78 per cubic metre, down from GH¢32.79.
Sachet water producers will pay GH¢27.97 per cubic metre, reduced from GH¢28.85, while bottled water producers and industrial users will also experience tariff reductions.
Public institutions and government departments will now pay GH¢15.25 per cubic metre, down from GH¢15.74, while tariffs at public standpipes will decrease from GH¢7.33 to GH¢7.11 per cubic metre.
Rates for ports and harbours will fall from GH¢42.88 to GH¢41.57 per cubic metre, and bulk supply tariffs will reduce from GH¢10.40 to GH¢10.08 per cubic metre.
According to the Commission, the tariff adjustments were largely influenced by the improved performance of the Ghana cedi, which appreciated against the US dollar, with a projected exchange rate of GH¢11.19 to one dollar, compared with GH¢12.00 in the previous quarter.
The PURC also noted that inflation between December 2025 and February 2026 stood at 4.17 per cent, representing a decline of nearly 48 per cent relative to the previous quarter.
Although the cost of natural gas rose slightly by 2.84 per cent, increasing from US$7.87 per MMBtu to US$8.09 per MMBtu, the overall economic indicators supported tariff reductions.
The electricity generation mix remains unchanged at 20.9 per cent hydro and 79.1 per cent thermal, as outlined in the 2025 Multi-Year Tariff Order.
For the first time, the Commission has also introduced a commercial tariff for electric vehicle charging stations, set at 201.60 pesewas per kWh, alongside a monthly service charge of GH¢50,000, to support Ghana’s green energy transition.
Dr Shafic Suleman, Executive Secretary of PURC, said the Commission would continue monitoring utility providers to ensure value for money and improved service delivery.
He added that the new tariffs strike a balance between consumer protection and the financial sustainability of service providers, while contributing to the country’s energy transition goals.
GHBUSS
13 March 2026
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