Ghanaians to pay more for electricity and water as tariffs rise from July

Consumers in Ghana will pay more for electricity and water from July 1 after the country's utilities regulator approved new tariff increases.

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) announced a 3.49% rise in electricity tariffs and a 0.85% increase in water tariffs under its third-quarter review for 2026.

In a statement issued on Monday, the regulator said the adjustments were necessary to reflect changes in key economic and operational indicators that affect utility providers.

PURC said the review took into account movements in the exchange rate between the Ghanaian cedi and the US dollar, inflation levels, the country's electricity generation mix and the cost of natural gas used for power production.

The commission said the quarterly tariff reviews were designed to preserve the real value of utility tariffs while ensuring service providers remained financially sustainable and capable of delivering reliable services.

According to PURC, the weighted average exchange rate used for the review was GHS11.22 to the dollar, representing a 0.2% depreciation of the cedi compared with the previous quarter.

The regulator also cited a three-month average inflation rate of 3.43%, down from 4.17% in the second quarter of the year. Meanwhile, the average cost of natural gas fell by 1.58% to $7.97 per MMBtu.

The country's electricity generation mix remained unchanged, with hydro power accounting for 20.9% of supply and thermal generation making up the remaining 79.1%.

Based on these factors, PURC approved a 3.49% increase in electricity tariffs for residential, non-residential and special load tariff customers.

For households consuming up to 30 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month under the lifeline tariff category, the rate will rise from 86.9 pesewas to 89.93 pesewas per kilowatt-hour.

Water tariffs will also increase by 0.85% across all customer categories, including residential, commercial, industrial, public institutions and bulk consumers.

Under the revised structure, the lifeline tariff for households using up to five cubic metres of water a month will increase from 593.49 pesewas to 598.54 pesewas per cubic metre.

PURC said it would continue to monitor the performance of utility service providers and enforce regulatory standards aimed at improving service delivery and ensuring value for money for consumers.

The commission thanked stakeholders for their cooperation in implementing the quarterly tariff review mechanism and said the new rates would be published in the official Gazette and on its website.