The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) in Ghana has announced that electricity and water tariffs will remain the same for the fourth quarter, starting from October 1, 2026. This decision was made according to the Commission's mandate to review tariffs on a quarterly basis. The existing tariffs from the third quarter have not changed, and the rates will remain applicable in the fourth quarter.
The PURC applied a Weighted Average Ghana Cedi-US Dollar Exchange Rate of GH¢11.5646/US$1.0000 for the Fourth Quarter of 2026. This represents a 3.04% depreciation of the Ghana Cedi from the applicable third Quarter rate of GH¢11.2228/ US$1.0000. The Commission considered various factors, including the exchange rate and inflation rate, to maintain the real value of the existing tariffs.
According to the PURC, the decision to maintain the tariffs is aimed at enabling utility service providers to remain financially viable and deliver services to consumers. The Commission reviews tariffs quarterly to reflect developments within the quarter. This approach helps to ensure that the utility service providers can sustain their operations and provide quality services to consumers.
The PURC also considered an average annual inflation rate of 4.97% for the Fourth Quarter of 2026. This represents an upward review of 44.89% from the previous quarter's average annual rate of 3.43%. Additionally, a Weighted Average Cost of Gas (WACOG) price of USD7.8379/MMBtu was applied, indicating a downward adjustment of 1.67% from the previous Quarter's rate of USD7.9708/MMBtu.
The projected generation from hydro sources is expected to increase by approximately 16.03% in the Fourth Quarter, moving from 20.90% in the Third Quarter to 24.25%. On the other hand, projected generation from thermal sources is expected to decline by approximately 4.24% in the Fourth Quarter, declining from a high of 79.10% in the Third Quarter to 75.75% in the Fourth Quarter.
For the third quarter, which started from July 1, 2026, the PURC increased electricity tariffs by 3.49% across all customer categories and water tariffs by 0.85%. The Commission's decision to maintain tariffs for the fourth quarter provides relief to consumers who might have anticipated further increases.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Shafic Suleman, signed and issued the statement informing consumers of electricity and water about the unchanged tariffs. The statement emphasized that the rates would be applicable in the Fourth Quarter, effective October 01, 2026.
Key points
- The PURC maintains electricity and water tariffs for the fourth quarter of 2026.
- The decision was made based on the Commission's quarterly review of tariffs.
- The tariffs will remain the same as the third quarter, effective October 1, 2026.
