Ghanaian households and businesses are bracing for steeper utility costs after the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission announced sweeping new tariff adjustments under its 2025–2030 Major Tariff Review — changes that will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Under the decision, electricity charges across all consumer categories will surge by 9.86%, while water tariffs will experience an even steeper jump of 15.92%, signalling a dramatic shift in the cost of essential services.
For residential electricity users, lifeline consumers — those using between 0 and 30 kilowatt-hours — will see their rate climb from 80.43 pesewas to 88.37 pesewas per kWh, marking a significant rise for the lowest-income brackets.
Households consuming up to 300 kWh will now pay 200.22 pesewas per kWh, up from 182.24 pesewas, while heavy consumers using 301 kWh and above will see tariffs leap to 264.56 pesewas per kWh, compared to the current 240.81 pesewas.
Businesses and other non-residential users will also feel the impact. Tariffs for consumption up to 300 kWh will move from 164.54 pesewas to 180.77 pesewas per kWh, while users exceeding 301 kWh will now pay 224.65 pesewas per kWh, up from 204.48 pesewas.
Water tariffs will follow the same upward tide.
Residential consumers using between 0 and 5 cubic metres will see rates increase from 528.18 pesewas to 612.25 pesewas per m³, while usage above 5 m³ will rise sharply from 934.46 pesewas to 1,083.20 pesewas per m³.
For non-residential water users, charges will jump from 1,580.92 pesewas to 1,832.57 pesewas per m³, tightening operating pressures on businesses already battling rising costs.
According to the Commission, these adjustments are part of a long-term effort to secure the financial survival of utility providers, preserve ageing infrastructure and improve service delivery — while still attempting to maintain some level of consumer protection.
The PURC urged the public to adopt more efficient usage habits to cushion the impact of rising bills, and pledged to maintain strict regulatory oversight throughout the 2025–2030 tariff cycle.
