Water, Power Tariffs Up

Electricity and water tariffs have gone up by 12 per cent effective March 1, this year. The increases constitute the second phase of graduated adjustment in tariffs after the 60 per cent increase in tariffs for electricity and 40 per cent for water were announced in August last year.

The third graduated increase is expected in September, this year.

With the new increases, lifeline consumers who were paying a block charge of ?14,000 for 1-50 units of electricity will now pay ?18,000 while other residential consumers who consume more than 50 units will pay ?550 per unit.

A document signed by the Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) said any consumption above 300 units will attract a tariff of ?960 per unit. Non-residential consumers will pay ?800 per unit for the first 30 units consumed.

On water, the document said the charge for the first 20,000 litres for residential water consumers will be ?3,500 per 1,000 litres (?64 per bucket). Commercial and industrial customers will pay a flat rate of ?6,000 per 1,000 litres.

Consumers of water from boreholes, hand wells and hand pumps will pay a flat rate of ?5,000 per house per month.