A policy group is calling on the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to reduce electricity tariffs by about 11% in the first quarter of 2026, alleging consumers overpaid nearly Gh¢1.5bn in late 2025.
In a statement issued on February 22 2026, the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy said the fourth-quarter tariff increase approved by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) was based on economic projections that exceeded actual conditions.
The regulator raised tariffs by 1.14% for Q4 2025, citing exchange rate and inflation pressures. It assumed an exchange rate of Gh¢11.97 to the dollar, later adjusted to Gh¢12.37, but the actual average rate was Gh¢10.87. Inflation was projected at 12.43%, while the recorded average was 6.6%.
Analysts estimate that, given the dollar-denominated cost structure of electricity generation, consumers may have paid about Gh¢1.5bn more than required.
Despite multiple tariff increases in 2025, revenue at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) remained inconsistent, with income fluctuating in the months following adjustments.
With the exchange rate now around Gh¢10.99 and projected inflation for early 2026 at 3.4%, analysts argue tariffs should be recalculated to reflect lower cost pressures. They say recognising the alleged over-recovery and applying updated economic indicators could result in an 11% reduction.
The debate centres on whether Ghana’s quarterly tariff review mechanism is responding fairly to changing economic conditions.
