PURC maintains electricity, water tariffs for fourth quarter

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has announced that electricity and water tariffs will remain unchanged for the fourth quarter of 2026.

PURC said the existing tariffs for the third quarter will be maintained at the same rates for the fourth quarter, representing a 0 percent adjustment.

The new rates will take effect from October 1 and will remain applicable throughout the fourth quarter.

According to PURC, the decision follows its quarterly tariff review, which is aimed at ensuring that utility tariffs reflect prevailing economic and operational conditions while maintaining the financial viability of service providers.

The Commission explained that its quarterly reviews are intended to preserve the real value of existing tariffs and enable utility companies to continue providing reliable services to consumers.

It said the reviews also take into account the potential impact of tariff adjustments on the general wellbeing of consumers.

In arriving at its decision for the fourth quarter, PURC considered several key operational and economic factors, including the exchange rate between the Ghana Cedi and the United States dollar, domestic inflation, the electricity generation mix and the cost of fuel, particularly natural gas used to power thermal generation plants.Ghana Cultural Events

On the exchange rate, PURC applied a weighted average Ghana Cedi-US dollar exchange rate of GH¢11.5646 to $1 for the fourth quarter of 2026.

This represents a 3.04 percent depreciation of the Ghana Cedi compared with the applicable third-quarter exchange rate of GH¢11.2228 to $1.

PURC also applied an average annual inflation rate of 4.97 percent for the fourth quarter.

The figure represents an upward adjustment of 44.89 percent compared with the previous quarter’s average annual inflation rate of 3.43 percent.