Why September power bills rose as KNBS recorded cheaper electricity

In September 2026, Kenyan households experienced an unexpected increase in electricity-related costs despite official reports indicating cheaper electricity prices. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) recorded a decline in the average price for electricity, with a 2.4% reduction for 50 kWh and 2.2% for 200 kWh compared to the previous month.

However, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) simultaneously introduced additional charges on electricity meter readings taken that month. These charges, totaling approximately Ksh4.16 per kWh, comprised a Fuel Energy Cost Charge, a Foreign Exchange Rate Fluctuation Adjustment, and a Water Resource Management Authority levy.

Consequently, households with higher electricity consumption saw their bills rise due to these pass-through charges, which are added on top of the base electricity tariff. The situation is further complicated by EPRA's amendments to the electricity tariff structure, which categorize consumers into three groups based on consumption levels.

This categorization, based on a three-month moving average, influences the specific tariff applied to each household. Additionally, other household energy costs, such as the increased prices of LPG, charcoal, and kerosene, continued to exert pressure on overall energy expenditures. The broader category of Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels (HWEOF) inflation remained at 3.2% annually, contributing significantly to the national inflation rate of 6.8%.

Thus, while the average electricity price fell, the combination of EPRA's additional charges and rising prices for alternative fuels meant that the overall cost burden on households did not decrease.