No increase in electricity and water Tariffs from Thursday, October 1 – PURC

Electricity and water tariffs will remain unchanged in Ghana for the fourth quarter of 2026, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has announced.

The decision means consumers will continue to pay the same electricity and water tariffs from October 1, 2026.

PURC announced the decision on Thursday, September 24, after completing its quarterly review of utility tariffs.

“The existing electricity and water tariffs of the Third Quarter have not changed (0%), but remain same in the Fourth Quarter,” the Commission said.

PURC reviews electricity and water tariffs every quarter. The process considers changes in the economy and the cost of providing utility services.

For the fourth quarter, the Commission considered the cedi-dollar exchange rate, inflation, natural gas prices and Ghana’s electricity generation mix.

The exchange rate used by PURC increased to GH¢11.5646 to US$1, from GH¢11.2228 in the third quarter. This represents a 3.04% depreciation of the Ghana cedi against the US dollar.

Inflation also increased. PURC used an average annual inflation rate of 4.97%, compared with 3.43% in the previous quarter. However, the cost of natural gas declined.

PURC set the weighted average cost of gas at US$7.8379 per MMBtu. This is a 1.67% reduction from the previous quarter’s US$7.9708.

The electricity generation mix also changed in the fourth quarter. Projected hydro generation increased from 20.90% to 24.25%.

At the same time, projected thermal generation fell from 79.10% to 75.75%. Despite these changes, PURC decided to maintain the existing electricity and water tariffs.

The Commission said its quarterly reviews are intended to protect the financial viability of utility providers while considering the impact of tariffs on consumers.

“Quarterly reviews are undertaken by the Commission to maintain the real value of the existing tariffs, which would enable the utility service providers to remain financially viable and to deliver on their services to consumers, bearing in mind the impact of these tariffs on the wellbeing of consumers in general,” PURC said.

The unchanged tariffs will take effect on October 1, 2026, and apply throughout the fourth quarter.

For consumers, this means there will be no change in electricity or water tariffs between October and December 2026.

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