The government has made the decision to reduce power tariffs for Ugandans through the Electricity Regulatory Authority from July to September. Customers in their different categories will enjoy these reduced yaka prices that will last for a period of three months.
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The reduced tariff prices have been attributed to the reduction of the consumer price index, the appreciation of Uganda Shilling against the dollar by 3.3 per cent, the fall in fuel prices and the energy generation mix according to the Electricity Regulatory Authority.
Many Ugandans will benefit from the lower tariff prices, especially during the pandemic, as many are unemployed and thus find it difficult to meet their expenses. According to ERA, this is also a deliberate effort to assist small and medium-sized businesses that are impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the new tariffs, domestic consumers will pay UGX 250 for the first 15 units under the lifeline tariff and thereafter, pay UGX 747.5 for the next units purchased, a reduction from UGX 750.9 in the previous quarter. This will now see domestic power consumers pay UGX 3.4 less per unit in the next quarter.
But the biggest beneficiaries of this reduction are the commercial and medium industrialists, whose tariffs were reduced by UGX 23 and UGX 29.1, respectively.
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“The commercial consumers and medium industrial consumers are the biggest direct beneficiaries of the reduction in tariffs applicable for the period July to September 2021, with a reduction as much as UGX 23.2 per unit and UGX 29.1 per unit of electricity consumed for the two consumer categories respectively” ERA chief executive officer Eng Ziria Tibalwa Waako said in a statement.
This will now see the commercial consumers pay UGX 616 from UGX 639.8, medium consumers will now pay UGX 526.9 from UGX 556, while extra-large consumers will now pay UGX 300.2 from UGX 301.7 per unit.
A look at the new Yaka prices
| Consumer categories | Old price (UGX) | New price (UGX) |
| Domestic consumers | 750.9 | 747.5 |
| Commercial consumers | 639.8 | 616.6 |
| Medium industrial consumers | 556 | 526.9 |
| Large industrial consumers | 361 | 355 |
| Extra-large consumers | 301.7 | 300.2 |
The new power tariffs will apply to all electricity consumers in Umeme based on meter readings and YAKA purchases made from July to September this year, according to the Electricity Regulatory Authority.
This effort comes after the government started distributing the covid-19 relief to various groups of vulnerable people in the country. The fund is meant to reach at least 501,107 households. Those without phones and those whose National Identification Numbers (NINs) don’t correspond with the mobile money account details can access funds through Post Bank vans.
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