Starting April 1, electricity and water consumers across Ghana will see lower bills following the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s (PURC) quarterly tariff review.

Electricity tariffs are set to drop by 4.81%, while water tariffs will fall by 3.06% for all customers in the second quarter of 2026. The commission also unveiled, for the first time, a commercial Electric Vehicle (EV) charging tariff to support the country’s green energy goals.

In a statement issued yesterday, PURC Executive Secretary Dr. Shafic Suleman explained that the quarterly tariff adjustments reflect changes in key economic and operational factors.

“The quarterly reviews track and incorporate movements in key factors for which their variability affects the operations of utility service providers (USPs).

“These factors are the exchange rate between the Ghana cedi and the United States dollar, domestic inflation rate, electricity generation mix, and the cost of fuel — mainly natural gas — to power the thermal plants,” the statement said.

Balancing consumer relief and provider viability
The adjustments aim to maintain the real value of tariffs, ensuring utility service providers can operate sustainably while minimising the impact on consumers.

“Having carefully analysed the aforementioned existing parameters, the commission wishes to announce a downward adjustment in electricity tariffs of an average reduction of 4.81 per cent and a 3.06 per cent reduction in water tariffs,” Dr Suleman said.

How the numbers were calculated
The PURC based the second-quarter calculations on a projected cedi-dollar exchange rate of GH¢11.1931 to $1, reflecting a 6.78% drop from the previous quarter.

Inflation averaged 4.17% over three months, down 47.87% from the last quarter, while the cost of gas rose slightly to $8.0988 per million British Thermal Units (MMBtu). The hydro-thermal generation mix remained at 20.9% hydro and 79.1% thermal, in line with the 2025 Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO).

The commission thanked stakeholders for their support and reiterated its commitment to regulating utility providers responsibly.

“The commission will continue to monitor operations of the regulated service providers and to hold them accountable to its regulatory standards and benchmarks to ensure value for money and improved quality of service delivery,” the statement added.