On Monday, July 30, 2018, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) put a smile on the faces of many Kenyans after announcing the removal of fixed electricity charges.
To begin with, if the announcement that the removal of the Kshs150 charge excited you, try to forget about the joy.
In what ERC deemed as a move to ensure Kenyans are charged equitably, it has emerged that you will now pay more money for the electricity you use. [caption caption="A man using his phone (PHOTO/COURTESY)"]
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A keen analysis of the new energy tariff shows that for the first 10 units (kWh) of energy consumed, it will now cost you Kshs12.
Previously, the same amount of power used was dispensed to you for only Kshs2.50.
This means that for the first ten units, you will now part with Sh120, up from the Sh25 that you have been paying.
Kenyans.co.ke has noted that for the next 40 units you will be using, Kenya Power will take Kshs15.80 per unit.
Before the new changes to be implemented tonight (Tuesday 31, July 2018 10 pm), consumption in this category was being charged Sh2.50 per unit implying you will now need some more Sh13.30 for every unit.
This means that in this band, you will now pay Ksh632 instead of Sh100 charged previously.
Domestic consumers who use between 51-1500 kWh will also suffer the rise in their power bill. In this category, Kenya Power has been charging Sh12.75 but it has since shot up to Sh15.80 per unit.
The new changes have only spared domestic consumers who take up more than 1500kWh after reducing their charges from Sh20.57 to Sh15.80 even though the power supplier intended to increase the charge to Sh25.56 per unit in the band.
Interesting to note also is the fact that it took the intervention of ERC to spare Kenyans what would have been a sharp rise in the scrapped fixed charges.
The power company had applied to increase the fixed charges for domestic consumption from Sh150 to Sh200 and that of small commercial power consumers was to be doubled.
The street lighting projects will also cost the country more in the new tariffs.
In the just amended tariffs, street lighting charges will go up from Sh4.36 to Sh7.50 per unit used.
The changes made show that in at least all the consumption categories, the fixed charges have been done away with while the unit charges have shot up significantly leave for that of homes that use more than 1500 kWh.
[caption caption="The new power tariffs "]
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