By Ben Musanje
The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) has approved a new schedule of end-user electricity tariffs to be charged by the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) for the third quarter of 2026, with the revised rates taking effect from July 1 to September 30.
The new tariffs were announced by ERA Chief Executive Officer Eng. Ziria Tibalwa Waako in a public notice issued on July 1, 2026, in accordance with Sections 9 and 75 of the Electricity Act, Cap. 157.
The authority said the approved tariffs apply to all categories of UEDCL customers and were determined after considering changes in key macroeconomic indicators, including the exchange rate of the Uganda shilling against the United States dollar, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the country’s electricity generation mix, and international fuel prices.
Under the new tariff schedule, domestic consumers supplied on low-voltage single-phase 240-volt connections will continue to benefit from the lifeline tariff of Shs250 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for the first 15 units of electricity consumed.
Consumers using between 16 and 80 units will pay Shs779.4 per kWh, while those consuming between 81 and 150 units under the cooking tariff will pay Shs412.0 per kWh. Consumption exceeding 150 units will attract a charge of Shs779.4 per kWh.
ERA clarified that the lifeline tariff applies only to domestic consumers whose rolling monthly average electricity consumption over the previous six months does not exceed 100 kWh.
For commercial consumers under Code 10.2, comprising three-phase low-voltage customers with loads not exceeding 100 amperes, the approved average energy charge has been set at Shs562.1 per kWh. Peak-hour consumption will cost Shs666.5 per kWh, shoulder period consumption will remain at Shs562.1 per kWh, while off-peak usage will be charged at Shs429.7 per kWh.
Medium industrial consumers engaged in manufacturing under Code 20.1, supplied at 415 volts with a maximum demand of up to 500 kilovolt-amperes (kVA), will pay Shs363.8 per kWh during average and shoulder periods, Shs436.7 per kWh during peak hours and Shs284.3 per kWh during off-peak hours.
Medium service consumers under Code 20.2 with similar voltage and demand characteristics will pay Shs423.9 per kWh during average and shoulder periods, Shs508.6 per kWh during peak hours and Shs331.5 per kWh during off-peak periods.
Large industrial manufacturers under Code 30.1 supplied at either 11,000 volts or 33,000 volts with maximum demand exceeding 500 kVA but not exceeding 1,500 kVA will continue to operate under a two-block tariff structure.
Under Block One, consumers will pay Shs308.1 per kWh during average and shoulder periods, Shs378.2 per kWh during peak hours and Shs239.3 per kWh during off-peak periods.
Under Block Two, also known as the declining block tariff, manufacturers consuming electricity above thresholds determined by ERA will pay Shs290.6 per kWh during average and shoulder periods, Shs356.7 per kWh during peak periods and Shs225.8 per kWh during off-peak periods. ERA said UEDCL will communicate the applicable consumption thresholds to the respective consumers.
Large service consumers under Code 30.2 supplied at 11,000 volts or 33,000 volts with maximum demand exceeding 500 kVA but not exceeding 1,500 kVA will pay Shs357.0 per kWh during average and shoulder periods, Shs428.8 per kWh during peak hours and Shs286.5 per kWh during off-peak periods.
Extra-large industrial consumers involved in manufacturing under Code 40.1, supplied at high voltage and maintaining an average demand of at least 1,500 kVA, will pay Shs207.7 per kWh during average and shoulder periods, Shs233.2 per kWh during peak hours and Shs188.7 per kWh during off-peak periods.
Extra-large service consumers under Code 40.2 with an average demand of at least 10,000 kVA will be charged Shs224.2 per kWh during average periods, Shs310.3 per kWh during peak periods, Shs207.7 per kWh during shoulder periods and Shs188.7 per kWh during off-peak periods.
Public amenities, including public hospitals, institutional cooking facilities and street lighting operated by municipalities, cities and towns, will continue paying a uniform tariff of Shs360.0 per kWh.
Eng. Waako said the tariff review was informed by prevailing macroeconomic conditions. According to the authority, the exchange rate used in determining the third-quarter tariffs was Shs3,777.81 to one US dollar, based on the Bank of Uganda’s mid-rate published on May 29, 2026.
The authority also used a Core Consumer Price Index of 140.52, published by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics for May 2026, while the international fuel price adopted in the tariff calculation stood at US$114.55 per barrel, based on the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Monthly Oil Market Report for June 2026.
Waako noted that, besides the exchange rate, inflation and international fuel prices, the country’s electricity generation mix was another key consideration in determining the new tariffs.
The regulator said the detailed Tariff Review Report for the third quarter of 2026 is available on its website and encouraged consumers and other stakeholders to review the report for a comprehensive explanation of the tariff determination process.
The new tariff schedule will remain in force throughout the third quarter of 2026, covering the billing period from July to September 2026. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
