NAIROBI, Kenya – Electricity consumers will incur an additional Sh4.16 per kilowatt-hour in pass-through costs for September following new charges approved by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
The charges apply to meter readings taken in September 2026, meaning households and businesses will see the additional costs reflected in their electricity bills.
The monthly pass-through costs are separate from the underlying retail electricity tariff and are adjusted to reflect changes in specific costs incurred by the electricity supply system. EPRA’s tariff framework provides for monthly adjustments to fuel energy costs, foreign exchange fluctuations and water-resource charges.
Fuel charge takes biggest share
The largest component is the Fuel Energy Cost (FEC) charge of Sh3 per unit.
The charge is intended to recover fuel costs associated with thermal electricity generation.
EPRA’s September notice states that electricity prices will be subject to a Fuel Energy Cost Charge of 300 Kenya cents per kWh for meter readings taken during the month.
Forex adjustment adds Sh1.14
Consumers will also pay approximately Sh1.14 per unit through the Foreign Exchange Rate Fluctuation Adjustment (FERFA).
The adjustment compensates for the impact of movements in the exchange rate on electricity-sector costs.
The September adjustment is linked to foreign-exchange costs of approximately Sh1.32 billion, according to the notice.
WRMA levy adds 1.48 cents
The third component is the Water Resource Management Authority (WRMA) levy, which stands at 1.48 cents per unit.
The levy is associated with the use of water resources for electricity generation, including by hydropower stations.
Combined, the three September charges amount to approximately Sh4.16 per kWh.
For a household consuming 100 units in a month, that translates to about Sh416 in these three pass-through charges alone, before other applicable components of the electricity bill.
EPRA changes net-metering rules
In a separate tariff-related measure, EPRA has also amended provisions affecting consumers who generate their own renewable electricity under net metering.
Under the applicable net-metering regulations, consumers receive a credit equivalent to 50 per cent of the electricity they export to the grid.
The system allows customers generating electricity, such as through rooftop solar installations, to export surplus power to the grid and receive credits against electricity supplied to them.
EPRA’s regulations also provide for monthly billing, with exported units credited against electricity supplied by the licensee.
Unauthorised power exports classified as dumping
The revised framework also addresses unauthorised electricity fed into the Kenya Power network.
Power exported to the grid without the required approval is classified as dumping, with the electricity subject to billing at the applicable base tariff.
The measure is intended to distinguish approved net-metering arrangements from unauthorised electricity injections into the network.
New customer bands introduced
EPRA has also provided for domestic customers to be grouped according to their average electricity consumption over three months.
The categories are:
- Up to 30 units
- 30 to 100 units
- 100 to 15,000 units
The changes form part of wider adjustments to the electricity tariff framework.
Electric vehicle charging tariff set
The revised framework also sets a tariff for electric vehicle charging customers at Sh16 per unit during applicable periods.
The rate falls to Sh8 per unit during off-peak hours, creating an incentive for EV users to charge when demand on the electricity system is lower.
