Kenya Power CEO Joseph Siror on Wednesday clarified the reasons why some electricity consumers enjoy half prices at night in line with the under-the-time-of-use tariff.
Speaking during an interview, Siror stated that the tariff is only available to large consumers like huge companies and industries, and applies during the night.
The Chief Executive explained that the rationale behind this is to encourage large power consumers to move Kenya's economy during the night.
"The time-of-use tariff mostly targets the high-consumers mainly the commercial and industries. If you look it may be around 1200 megawatts in the morning go to 1500/1600 megawatts at midday and start going up until 2100 megawatts from 6 pm.
"From 10 pm it drops from 2100 megawatts to 1200 megawatts. At midnight it might be around 1000 megawatts. This is mostly to drive the demand so that if the industries are able to take advantage of it they actually get it at half the tariff," he stated.
However, he explained that the factories and the industries also have to meet specific demands before enjoying the half prices.
Siror pointed out that these demands exist to dissuade industries from halting operations during the day to take advantage of the reduced prices at night.
On why the waived prices only target companies and not homeowners, he stated that a majority of Kenyans consume low electricity.
According to the CEO, close to 7 million Kenyans spend 0 - 30 tariffs.
"Power is not expensive. It is what you are using it for. 0 -30 is the lowest tariff at Ksh12.24 cents," he added.
"If your average consumption is between 30 - 100, you will pay Ksh16 per unit and if you go over 100 then the cost will be above Ksh20."
