The advocacy group, the The People’s Forum, has petitioned the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to suspend further electricity tariff increases and review existing charges to ease the financial burden on consumers.
In a petition dated March 10, 2026, and addressed to the Executive Secretary of the commission, the group said its concerns are based on feedback gathered during a public forum it organised to collect citizens’ views on the rising cost of electricity.
According to the group, participants from various sectors of the economy expressed strong frustration over what they described as the growing financial pressure caused by recent tariff adjustments.
The petition, signed by Team Lead Dennis Miracles Aboagye, stated that the increasing cost of electricity is affecting both households and businesses. It noted that some small enterprises have reportedly scaled down operations or shut down entirely due to rising energy bills and unreliable power supply.
The group further indicated that a trend analysis of electricity tariffs between 2009 and 2024 shows a pattern of significant increases that have disproportionately affected vulnerable consumers.
According to the analysis, cumulative tariff hikes between 2009 and 2016 reached 294.6 percent, representing an average annual increase of 36.8 percent. In contrast, tariffs rose by 84.6 percent between 2017 and 2024, averaging about 10.57 percent annually.
However, the petition argued that adjustments in 2025 and 2026 appear to depart from the earlier moderate trend, intensifying financial pressure on consumers despite improvements in some macroeconomic indicators.
The forum cited the case of broadcast journalist Kojo Akoto Boateng of Joy FM, whose weekly electricity expenditure reportedly increased from GH¢225 in 2024 to GH¢449 in 2026.
According to the petition, the rise in electricity costs appears inconsistent with broader economic developments, including declining fuel prices, an improving exchange rate, and lower inflation.
The group also challenged claims that tariff adjustments are driven by conditions under the International Monetary Fund programme, arguing that IMF documents do not mandate automatic quarterly electricity tariff increases.
The People’s Forum is therefore urging PURC to suspend any planned tariff hikes at the end of the first quarter of 2026 and instead consider reducing the current effective cost of electricity.
It also expressed readiness to engage the commission in discussions aimed at ensuring electricity tariffs remain fair, transparent and affordable for Ghanaians.
