Uganda's Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) has rejected assertions circulating on social media that electricity tariffs have increased, stating that approved rates for October to December 2026 remain unchanged. The regulator explained that the number of units a customer receives for a given payment depends on their applicable tariff category and additional charges, not tariff rises.
According to ERA's fourth-quarter tariff schedule, domestic consumers using between one and 15 units pay Shs250 per unit under the lifeline tariff, while those consuming 16 to 80 units are charged Shs779.4 per unit. The cooking tariff for consumption between 81 and 150 units is Shs412 per unit, and customers using 151 units or more pay Shs779.4 per unit. At the lifeline rate, Shs10,000 would purchase 40 units before taxes and other charges, whereas at Shs779.4 per unit, the same amount would buy approximately 12.8 units before additional charges.
The lifeline tariff applies to domestic consumers whose rolling monthly average consumption over the preceding six months does not exceed 100 kilowatt-hours. ERA noted that Value Added Tax at 18% per transaction and monthly service charges reduce the amount available for purchasing electricity units but do not constitute tariff increases. The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) applies ERA's approved rates when billing customers.