The people of Ghana are expected to pay more for electricity and water, effective January 1, 2026.
The new tariff adjustments follow the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) announcement of its multi-year tariff review process covering 2026 to 2030.
According to the PURC, electricity tariffs will rise by 9.86 per cent across all customer categories, and water tariffs will rise by 15.92 per cent.
The PURC noted that the adjustments were necessary to meet the investment requirements of utility providers and also to ensure industry competitiveness and consumer interests.
On electricity tariffs, they based their adjustment on the cedi–US dollar exchange rate and the cost of natural gas.
However, water tariffs were based on “projected production and sales volumes, non-revenue water levels, expected capital investment requirements, and prevailing macroeconomic conditions”.
They further added that “Residential consumers’ charges will rise across consumption bands. Non-residential, commercial, industrial and public institutions will also see higher rates. Service charges generally remain unchanged”.
The news comes following Dr Shafic Suleman, the Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), who some months ago revealed that the new utility tariffs will take effect in January 2026, following a stakeholder consultation.
The PURC Executive Secretary highlighted that the adjustment process is aimed at striking a balance between protecting consumers and enabling utility providers to sustain and improve their operations.
According to the PURC, the stakeholder consultations and public hearings would play a significant role in determining the final utility tariff adjustment.
Dr Shafic Suleman, speaking on the issue, stated, “Our objective is to ensure that consumers are not overburdened with high tariffs while at the same time allowing utility providers to invest in keeping the lights on”.
“Keeping the lights on is complex and expensive. But we are working to ensure that investments in utility infrastructure can continue without passing undue hardship onto consumers”, he added.
Also, Nana Yaa Jantuah, a Board Member of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), has highlighted that the Commission must balance the interests of both consumers and utilities.
According to Nana Yaa Jantuah, there must be a win-win situation in the PURC utility tariff adjustments.
Speaking on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, on a proposal from the ECG and GWL, Nana Yaa Jantuah stated, “The cost of energy is expensive, so we need to keep the lights on. We must ensure that energy is available for industry, for the economy to run, and to guarantee consumer comfort.
“The quality of service is key, but we also have a very difficult job—to ensure improved service delivery while keeping the utilities financially viable. Ultimately, we must find a win-win situation,” she said.
