5 October 20261 min read

Electricity surcharges fell in September

The extra charges EPRA adds to every unit of power came to Ksh 4.16 per kWh for September, down from Ksh 4.70 in August. Rooftop solar rules changed too.

An electricity transmission pylon against an evening sky in Kampala — Photo: Michael Starkie on Unsplash

Ksh 4.16

per kWh in pass-through charges for September, down from Ksh 4.70

Every month EPRA sets the charges that are added to each unit of electricity on top of the base tariff: a fuel energy cost charge, a foreign exchange adjustment and a water levy. They move with what it costs to generate power and with the shilling.

For meter readings taken in September, EPRA’s gazette notice of 18 September set them at Ksh 3.00 per kWh for fuel energy cost, about Ksh 1.14 for the foreign exchange adjustment and under two cents for the water levy - Ksh 4.16 per kWh in all. In August the same three came to about Ksh 4.70, with the fuel energy cost charge at Ksh 3.51.

Solar on the roof: half credit for exported power

The same notice changed the rules for net metering, where a customer with solar panels feeds spare power into the grid. Exported power is now credited at half its value. Power fed into the Kenya Power network without approval - which EPRA now calls “dumping” - is billed at the base tariff.

What EPRA adds to each unit of electricityKsh per kWh

AugustSeptember

Fuel energy cost charge−0.51: 3.51
3.00
Foreign exchange adjustment−0.04: 1.18
1.14
All pass-through charges−0.54: 4.70
4.16

From EPRA’s gazette notices of 14 August and 18 September, as reported. The water levy, under two cents, is included in the total.

Why it matters

The fall is about Ksh 0.54 on every unit. A plant using 20,000 units a month pays about Ksh 10,800 less in these charges than it did in August.
The charges are set again every month, so September’s level is not a promise for October.
Factories and warehouses with rooftop solar connected to the grid should make sure their export arrangement is approved, now that unapproved exports are billed.

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