Consumers of electricity and water services will not see any tariff increases in the final quarter of 2026, following a decision by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).
The Commission has maintained the existing third-quarter tariffs for both utilities, resulting in a 0 per cent adjustment effective October 1, 2026.
The decision follows PURC’s quarterly review of key economic and operational factors that influence the cost of providing electricity and water.
For electricity, the Commission considered movements in the cedi-dollar exchange rate, inflation, the country’s generation mix and fuel costs, particularly the price of natural gas used by thermal power plants.
PURC applied a weighted average exchange rate of GH¢11.5646 to US$1 for the fourth quarter, compared with GH¢11.2228 to US$1 in the third quarter, representing a 3.04 per cent depreciation of the cedi between the two review periods.
The Commission also used an average annual inflation rate of 4.97 per cent, up from 3.43 per cent in the previous quarter.
However, the weighted average cost of natural gas fell by 1.67 per cent, from US$7.9708 to US$7.8379 per MMBtu.
PURC also expects a shift in the country’s electricity generation mix, with hydro generation projected to rise from 20.90 per cent in the third quarter to 24.25 per cent in the fourth quarter.
Thermal generation, meanwhile, is projected to fall from 79.10 per cent to 75.75 per cent.
The Commission said the combined impact of these factors did not justify an adjustment to electricity tariffs.
Consequently, all customer categories, including residential lifeline, other residential, non-residential and special load tariff users, will continue paying the existing rates.
Water consumers will also maintain their current tariffs throughout the fourth quarter.
The unchanged rates will apply to residential and non-residential users, as well as commercial consumers, sachet and bottled water producers, drinks manufacturers, industrial users, public institutions, public standpipes, ports and harbours and bulk supply customers.
PURC said it will continue monitoring regulated utility providers to ensure they meet the required regulatory standards and benchmarks.
The Commission said the monitoring will also focus on promoting value for money and improving the quality of services delivered to consumers.
The fourth-quarter tariff decision will be published in the Gazette and made available on the Commission’s website.
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