The national regulator has increased power prices for June by 3.7 percent making the second consecutive rise driven by higher fuel prices and weak shilling.
The Energy and petroleum regulatory authority (EPRA) increased power prices for ordinary domestic consumers by sh1 a unit from sh27 to KES 28 per unit this month.
The rise was driven by a weak shilling which saw the foreign exchange rate fluctuation adjustment increase by 226 percent from just 84 cents per unit last month to KES 2.06 this month.
Fuel energy charge also rose by 2.5 percent to 4.48, up from 4.38 per unit. This marks the second month in which power prices are rising, dealing a blow to households and businesses that are now digging deeper into their pockets to pay their electricity bills.
The unit price for the ordinary domestic consumer went up from KES 26 to KES 27 in May. The increase was driven by 12. Percent increase in the fuel energy charge, which rose from KES 3.9 to KES 4.38 per unit.
Kenyans will continue reeling under the weight of high electricity prices for the foreseeable future after EPRAA approved new Kenya power tariffs for the next three years. The tariff increase has however come a little too late to prevent the utility from recording an expected profit drop of more than 25 percent in its fiscal year that ends in June.
