ERA Dismisses Electricity Tariff Hike Claims

What the report says

Uganda’s Electricity Regulatory Authority has rejected social-media claims that electricity tariffs were raised, saying the approved rates for October to December 2026 have not changed. In the report published by Nile Post, ERA said complaints that Shs10,000 now buys only four or five units do not reflect a tariff increase, but rather differences in customer category, taxes and service charges.

The regulator explained that the number of units a consumer receives depends on the applicable tariff band. For domestic users, the published schedule lists a lifeline rate of Shs250 per unit for households using one to 15 units, while consumers in higher-use categories pay more. ERA also said the lifeline tariff is limited to eligible customers whose rolling six-month monthly average consumption does not exceed 100 kilowatt-hours.

According to the same schedule, the published rates exclude 18% VAT and a monthly service charge, both of which reduce the number of units bought for the same amount of money. ERA said its tariff reviews consider wider cost pressures such as exchange rates, inflation, fuel prices and the electricity generation mix, before approved rates are published for suppliers and consumers.

The article also noted that Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited applies the approved tariffs when billing customers. It added that ERA’s schedule includes separate pricing for large industrial users, with rates varying by connection voltage, demand level and time of day.