The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) has approved the End-user Electricity Tariffs applicable to customers of Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) for the Third Quarter of 2026, covering the period July to September, 2026.
As per the approved Tariff schedule, Domestic Consumers will pay an average of UGX 779.4; Commercial Consumers UGX 562.1; Medium Industrial Consumers UGX 363.8; Medium Consumers (Service) UGX 423.9; Large Industrial Consumers UGX 308.1; Large Consumers (Service) UGX 357; Extra-Large Industrial Consumers UGX 207.7; Extra-Large Consumers (Service) UGX 224.2 and the Public Amenities UGX 360.0 per unit.
The Authority has maintained the Lifeline Tariff for Domestic Customers whose rolling monthly average consumption over the previous six-months period does not exceed 100 kWh at UGX 250 for the First 15 Units. Similarly, the Cooking Tariff for qualifying customers has also been maintained at UGX 412 per unit for a 70-unit bundle consumed from the 81st unit to the 150th unit. The Cooking Tariff is intended to promote the adoption of electric cooking by making electricity more affordable for cooking purposes, reducing dependence on traditional biomass fuels, and supporting Uganda’s clean energy and environmental sustainability goals.
The Tariff adjustment takes into consideration changes in the key Macroeconomic Factors and the Energy Generation Mix.
Key Factors that Shaped the Q3 Tariff Adjustment:
a) Depreciation of the Uganda Shilling against the US Dollar
The Uganda Shilling depreciated against the US Dollar by 4.22%, from Ush/USD 3,624.9 used in the determination of the End-user Tariffs for the First Quarter of 2026 to Ush/USD 3,777.81 as published by Bank of Uganda on 29th May, 2026. This depreciation raises the cost of imported inputs for Electricity Generation, Transmission, and Distribution.
b) Increase in International Oil Prices
The OPEC Oil Reference Basket (ORB) price for May 2026 reached USD 114.55 per barrel, up from USD 64.46 in November 2025, which was used in the determination of the End-user Tariffs for the First Quarter of 2026. The increase in International Oil Prices was driven by the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. This increased the annualised power purchase costs attributed to the UEGCL Namanve and Electro-Maxx Tororo Thermal Power Plants.
c) Inflation (Consumer Price Index)
The core Consumer Price Index published by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) for May 2026 stood at 140.52, up from 137.23 in November 2025 and 139.00 in February 2026. This increased the net operating costs which Generation, Transmission, and Distribution companies incur in Uganda Shillings.
d) Changes in the Energy Generation Mix
The Dispatch/Energy Mix Adjustment Factor passes through to the End-user Tariff the cost variance arising from differences between the projected generation dispatch mix for the quarter and the reference mix embedded in the Base Tariff. The review indicates that the projected generation mix for the quarter is more favourable than that established in the Quarter One of 2026 review, principally through increased dispatch from the Large Hydro Power Plants displacing uptake from the higher-cost Small Hydro Power Plants.
The Tariff Review for the Third Quarter of 2026 was conducted in accordance with the Electricity Act, the Electricity (Application for Permit, Licence and Tariff Review) Regulations, 2007, the approved Tariff methodologies, and the provisions contained in the respective Licences.
The detailed Tariff schedule for July to September, 2026 is downloadable at the ERA Website: https://www.era.go.ug/tariff-schedules/.