Ghanaian consumers will pay more for electricity and water from July 1, 2026, after the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission approved upward adjustments in utility tariffs for the third quarter of the year.
In a statement issued on Monday, June 22, the Commission announced that electricity tariffs would increase by 3.49 per cent across all customer categories, while water tariffs would rise by 0.85 per cent.
The adjustments form part of the Commission's quarterly review mandate, which tracks movements in key operational factors that affect utility service providers.
According to the Commission, the review considered movements in the Ghana cedi to the United States dollar exchange rate, domestic inflation, the electricity generation mix, and the cost of natural gas used to power thermal plants.
The Commission explained that the quarterly adjustments are intended to maintain the real value of existing tariffs, enabling utility service providers to remain financially viable while continuing to deliver reliable services to consumers.
The Commission applied a weighted average exchange rate of GHS11.2228 to one US dollar for the third quarter, representing a 0.2 per cent depreciation of the cedi compared to the previous quarter.
A three-month average inflation rate of 3.43 per cent was applied, down from 4.17 per cent in the second quarter, while the weighted average cost of natural gas declined by 1.58 per cent to USD7.9708 per MMBtu. The hydro-thermal generation mix remained unchanged at 20.9 per cent hydro and 79.1 per cent thermal generation.
Under the revised electricity rates, the lifeline tariff for residential consumers using up to 30 kilowatt-hours monthly has increased from 86.9Gp per kilowatt-hour to 89.93Gp per kilowatt-hour.
For water consumers, the residential lifeline tariff for consumption up to five cubic metres has risen from 593.49Gp per cubic metre to 598.54Gp per cubic metre. Service charges for all customer categories remain unchanged.
The Commission emphasised that it would continue to monitor the operations of regulated service providers and hold them accountable to regulatory standards to ensure value for money and improved quality of service delivery. The decision will be published in the Gazette and on the Commission's website in due course.
