Kenya Power Managing Director Ken Tarus has announced that they will introduce new billing criteria starting next month which will reduce power cost.
Together with Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)Chief Executive Pavel Omiek, he told Parliament that the agencies were working towards streamlining electricity tariffs to objectively reduce the cost incurred by consumers.
They also stated that there will be an 8 percent drop in electricity cost by August.
“The tariff review process will be completed by the end of July. New billing will start inAugust according to July’s power consumption,” Mr. Omieke declared.
He further revealed that ERC and Kenya power would ensure that consumers will not be charged for any fixed charges when they don't consume any electricity.
The ERC chief also noted that they are working towards making sure future power tariffs will not fluctuate as previously experienced. On the high cost of electricity, Mr. Omieke told the Senate Committee on Energy that ERC had abolished the demand charge for industrial and commercial consumers.
ERC also has a new category comprising of 3.5 million accounts which consume up to 15units.
“The new harmonized areas will foster uniform charges on all units thus ensuring that tariffs are predictable and that consumers do not incur a fixed charge,” Omieke stated. The two had been summoned by the committee to give a report on the progress on power harmonization and the upgrade of the prepaid token system.
Domestic consumers will have their fixed charges priced at Ksh150 while that of commercial consumers range from Ksh2500 to Ksh6500. The new tariffs will reduce the power cost by a commendable value, for instance, a 100 units that cost approximately Ksh1600 will be worth approximately Ksh1300.